UC-NRLF 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Lib. 


Afric.  Dcpt 


Class 


HOW  TO  GROW  AND  USE. 


AGRICULTURAL 
LIBRARY, 

UNIVERSITY 


CALIFORNIA. 


THE   GKAPE 


IN  KANSAS. 


The  oldest  cultivated  fruit.     The  finest  of  all  table  fruits. 

A  fruit  too  good  to  be  made  a  chief  source  of  the  degradation  of  the  race  as 
an  alluring  (yet  intoxicating)  principle. 

To  the  glory  of  Kansas,  99  £  per  cent,  of  this  luscious  fruit  which  grows  freely 
all  over  the  state  is  used  without  fermentation. 


COMPILED  AND  EEVISED  FOB  THE 

KANSAS  STATE  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY, 

By  WILLIAM  H.  BARNES,  SECRETARY, 
State  Capitol,  Topeka,  Kan. 


ISSUED    BY   THE    STATE, 


1901. 


Main 


PRESS  OF 

W.  Y.  MORGAN,  STATE  PRINTER, 
TOPEKA,  1901. 


AGRICULTURAL 
LIBRARY, 

UNIVERSITY 
— OF— 

^CALIFORNIA. 

THE 


PROBABLY  THE  OLDEST  OF  DOMESTICATED  FRUITS. 
"Cyclopedia  of  American  Horticulture,"  by  L.  H.  BAILEY. 

It  is  probable  that  wine  was  made  from  it  even  before  the  species 
was  brought  into  cultivation.  It  seems  to  have  been  cultivated  at  the 
dawn  of  history.  Its  product  was  certainly  no  rarity  in  Noah's  time. 

Of  all  countries,  North  America  is  richest  in  species  of  Vitis. 
These  species  range  from  ocean  to  ocean  and  from  the  British  posses- 
sions to  the  tropics.  The  greatest  development  of  the  native-grape 
industry  has  taken  place  in  New  York  and  Ohio,  bordering  lakes  and 
large  streams.  These  areas  are  the  lower  Hudson  river  valley ;  the 
region  of  the  central  western  New  York  lakes ;  the  Lake  Erie  region 
of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio.  There  are  also  important 
grape  interests  in  Ontario,  Michigan,  and  other  northern  parts.  There 
is  considerable  interest  in  grape  culture  in  the  cooler  parts  of  Georgia 
and  Alabama,  and  there  are  enlarging  areas  in  the  country  extending 
from  the  Ozark  region  southward.  Nearly  all  the  country,  excepting 
the  northernmost  parts,  raises  grapes,  but  in  most  cases  the  growing 
of  them  cannot  be  said  to  be  extensive  enough  to  be  called  an  industry. 

Although  the  grape  sections  of  the  North  hug  the  water  areas,  and 
the  land,  therefore,  is  often  steep,  all  grape  growers  prefer  nearly  level 
land.  The  old-world  plantations  are  largely  on  very  steep  lands ;  such 
lands,  by  virtue  of  their  warmth  and  drainage,  are  thought  to  give  an 
extra  quality  of  wine.  These  ideas  were  brought  to  this  country,  and 
many  of  our  early  vineyards  were  planted  on  terraced  slopes.  But  we 
grow  grapes  for  a  different  purpose  from  the  Europeans,  and  land  is 
cheap  and  labor  is  dear.  Old-world  methods  cannot  be  followed  in 
American  commercial  plantations.  The  ideal  bunch  of  grapes  is  one 
which  is  of  medium  size  for  the  variety,  compact,  uniformly  developed 
and  ripened  thoroughly,  containing  no  small  or  diseased  berries,  and 
with  the  bloom  intact.  •  • 

A  very  dense  or  crowded  cluster  is  not  the  most  desirable,  for  all 
the  berries  cannot  develop  fully,  and  the  cluster  is  not  easily  handled 
when  the  fruit  is  eaten. 

Unfermented  grape  juice  is  a  product  which  deservedly  is  growing 
in  popularity.  The  lack  of  secondary  domestic  uses  of  the  grape  is 
one  reason  for  the  very  serious  gluts  in  the  markets.  However,  one 
year  with  another,  the  profit  on  a  good  vineyard  may  be  expected  to 
exceed  that  on  the  staple  farm  crops. 

(3) 

A  *M  r*  f\  f\  f  \ 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


ORIGIN  OF  AMERICAN  GRAPES. 

From  Bulletin  No.  46,  by  Prof.  J.  C.  WHITTEN,  Horticulturist  of  Missouri  Agricultural 

Experiment  Station. 

Nearly  all  the  cultivated  grapes  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains ^originated  from  various  native  species  found  growing  wild  by  the  early 
settlers  of  the  country.  Improvement  of  these  wild  grapes  began  by  planting 
the  seeds  of  the  best  of  them  and  by  cultivating  and  selecting  the  best  of  these 
seedlings.  From  the  most  promising  of  these  cultivated  vines  seeds  were  again 
taken  and  planted,  and  so  on  until  some  of  our  cultivated  varieties  are  many 
generations  removed  from  the  wild  vine  with  which  improvement  started.  As 
these  seedling  generations  began  to  be  cultivated  they  became  more  variable 
than  the  wild  vines  from  which  they  descended,  and  improved  forms  appeared. 
Whenever  a  vine  exhibited  any  particular  merit  it  was  propagated  by  means  of 
cuttings,  given  a  name,  and  became  known  as  a  cultivated  variety.  In  some 
cases  wild  vines  have  been  found  possessing  sufficient  merit  to  warrant  their 
being  propagated  and  named  as  distinct  varieties.  Neosho  and  probably,  also, 
Cynthiana  and  many  others  have  been  propagated  directly  from  vines  found 
growing  wild  in  the  woods.  Improvement  of  our  native  grapes  has  progressed  so 
rapidly  in  recent  years  that  we  now  have  more  than  1000  named  varieties  in  cul- 
tivation, though  but  few  of  these  varieties  are  known  to  the  average  cultivator. 
Since  our  grapes  may  be  grouped  or  classified  according  to  the  species  from 
which  they  sprang,  a  brief  description  (from  a  horticultural  rather  than  from  a 
botanical  standpoint)  of  the  species  represented  by  the  varieties  mentioned  in 
this  bulletin  is  here  given. 

Our  grapes  are  referred  to  the  genus  Vitis,  comprising  numerous  species, 
among  which  the  following  will  be  considered : 

THE  NORTHERN  Fox  GRAPE.  Vitis  labrusca  Linn. —  Native  from  New  Eng- 
land to  South  Carolina  and  from  the  Alleghany  mountains  eastward  to  the  coast ; 
not  known  in  a  wild  state  in  the  Mississippi  valley ;  is  the  parent  species  of  more 
than  one-half  of  our  cultivated  grapes,  including  the  Concord,  Hartford,  Ca- 
tawba,  and  Niagara.  Distinguished  from  all  other  species  by  its  continuous 
tendrils  or  inflorescence — that  is,  having  a  tendril  or  flower  cluster  opposite 
each  leaf;  while  other  species  have  intermittent  tendrils — that  is,  two  leaves 
each  with  a  tendril  opposite  it,  and  then  a  third  leaf  with  no  such  tendril.  The 
fruit  clusters  of  the  grape  occupy  positions  corresponding  to  those  of  the  tendrils, 
hence,  on  account  of  this  continuous  arrangement,  grapes  of  the  labrusca 
species  often  bear  three  or  more  clusters  of  fruit  in  succession  on  the  same 
branch,  while  other  species  bear  only  two  clusters  of  fruit  in  succession,  the 
third  leaf  having  no  tendril  or  fruit  cluster  opposite  it.  The  leaves  of  labrusca 
are  large,  thick,  and  very  cottony  beneath,  especially  while  young.  It  has,  gen- 
erally, very  large  berries  and  large  bunches.  Except  when  hybridized  with  some 
other  species,  its  fruit  usually  has  a  distinct  musky  flavor. 

This  species,  which  has  produced  more  cultivated  varieties  than  all  other 
species  combined,  is  generally  regarded  as  occupying  the  most  important  position 
in  the  make-up  of  our  American  grapes.  Its  numerous  varieties  furnish  grapes 
of  every  shade  from  white  to  red  and  black,  of  every  quality  from  bad  to  good,  and 
of  various  seasons,  from  the  earliest  to  the  latest.  A  single  one  of  its  varieties, 
Concord,  is  more  largely  planted  and  marketed  than  all  other  varieties,  and  when 
we  include  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  Wyoming  Red,  and  other  popular  sorts,  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  bulk  of  American  grapes  grown  and  marketed  east  of  the 
Rocky  mountains  belong  to  this  species.  While  various  cultivated  varieties  of 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  5 

this  species  succeed  well  in  Missouri,  and  will  probably  Igng  continue  to  be  im- 
portant here,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  are  not  so  capable  of  enduring 
our  summers,  particularly  if  the  season  be  dry  and  hot,  as  are  some  of  the  species 
that  are  native  to  this  region  and  to  the  south  and  west. 

THE  RIVER  BANK  GRAPE.  Vitia  riparia  Michx. —  This  species  is  of  wider 
distribution  than  any  other  native  American  grape,  being  found  along  the 
streams  in  southern  Canada  and  many  parts  of  the  United  States  east  of  the 
Rocky  mountains.  It  extends  farthest  north,  and  is  the  hardiest  of  our  grapes. 
It  is  the  parent  of  Clinton,  Bacchus,  and  other  well-known  varieties.  As  these 
cultivated  varieties  indicate,  its  fruit  is  small  in  both  bunch  and  berry.  It  may 
be  distinguished  from  other  species  by  having  very  thin  diaphragms  at  the  nodes 
of  the  stem,  small,  light  green,  shiny  glabrous  leaves,  almost  or  quite  without 
hairiness  beneath,  large  stipules,  and  very  early  flowering  habit.  This  species, 
with  some  of  its  cultivated  varieties,  has  become  of  great  importance  in  European 
vineyards  by  furnishing  a  phylloxera-proof  stock  upon  which  to  graft  the  Euro- 
pean varieties.  The  vines  of  this  species  are  rank,  tall,  straggling  growers. 
They  are  readily  propagated  by  means  of  cuttings.  While  grapes  of  this  species 
are  reasonably  free  from  rot,  they  are  more  susceptible  to  the  attack  of  leaf- 
hoppers  than  other  species.  During  certain  seasons  varieties  of  this  class  have 
their  foliage  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  this  insect  when  other  species  in  the 
same  vineyard  are  injured  but  little.  In  fact,  the  attacks  of  this  insect  on  varie- 
ties of  riparia  are  a  serious  drawback  to  its  successful  culture  in  this  section. 
In  the  number  of  cultivated  varieties  which  this  species  has  furnished  it  ranks 
next  to  V.  labrusca. 


THE  ORIGINAL  CONCORD  GRAPE-VINE. 

By  CHAS.  E.  NEWL.IN,  in  Indiana  Farmer. 

I  thought  your  readers  might  be  interested  in  a  little  horticultural  history 
which  has  been  of  great  interest  to  me.  Perhaps  few  of  those  who  annually  feast 
on  the  luscious  Concord  grape  ever  stop  to  think  where  the  variety  originated  or 
when  or  by  whom  it  was  first  cultivated.  An  hour's  ride  northwest  from  Boston, 
through  historic  old  Cambridge  and  Lexington,  is  the  quaint  little,  scattered  town 
of  Concord,  where  the  first  battle  of  the  revolution  was  fought,  April  19,  1775, 
though  the  little  skirmish  at  Lexington  on  the  way  out  here  is  usually  given  that 
distinction.  After  a  walk  out  two  miles  over  the  fir-covered  hill  to  Walden  pond, 
where  Thoreau's  happy  hours  were  spent  in  the  little  hut  on  its  shores,  and  back 
to  a  New  England  dinner  in  Wright's  tavern,  built  in  1747  and  used  ever  since  as 
a  tavern  (it  was  here  the  English  general,  Pitcairn,  got  drunk  before  the  battle 
of  Concord),  I  wandered  out  the  old  Lexington  road  past  Emerson's  home,  where 
his  daughter  still  lives,  and  past  the  Alcott  home,  where  "Little  Women"  was 
written,  and  in  whose  door-yard,  by  the  foot  of  the  hill,  stands  the  plain,  un- 
painted  "Concord  school  of  philosophy." 

A  little  further  on  is  "Wayside,"  the  "House  of  Seven  Gables"  (and  it  has 
them),  where  Hawthorne  wrote  "Scarlet  Letter"  and  where  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Lothrop,  still  lives.  Next  door  to  this  historic  house  stands  Bull's  cottage,  in 
whose  door-yard  still  grows  the  first  Concord  grape-vine,  from  which  stock  the 
unnumbered  millions  of  vines  of  this  variety  came.  [See  frontispiece  to  this  book.] 
The  vine  is  now  enclosed  in  close  latticework,  around  and  above,  to  keep  vandal 
relic-hunters,  like  myself,  from  carrying  it  away  by  inches.  On  one  side  hangs  a 
square  oak  board  on  which  these  words  are  burned  most  artistically : 

"  I  looked  about  to  see  what  I  could  find  among  our  wildings.  The  next  thing 
to  do  was  to  find  the  best  and  earliest  grape,  for  seed,  and  this  I  found  in  an  ac- 


D  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

cidental  seedling  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  The  crop  was  abundant,  ripe  in  August, 
and  of  a  very  good  quality  for  a  wild  grape.  I  sowed  the  seed  in  the  autumn  of 
1843.  Among  them  the  Concord  was  the  only  one  worth  saving. — EPHRAIM 
WALES  BULL." 

This  is  the  simple  story  of  the  origin  of  the  greatest  grape  ever  produced. 

Mr.  Bull  was  born  March  4, 1806,  and  died  September  26, 1895.  Mrs.  Lothrop 
then  bought  the  grounds  of  her  father's  old  friend,  and  is  keeping  the  quaint  old 
cottage  and  its  surroundings  in  perfect  repair,  just  as  Mr.  Bull  left  them,  except 
for  a  little  addition  to  the  back  for  accommodation  of  the  renter.  On  the  man- 
telpiece in  the  sitting-room  she  has  had  daintily  painted  this  "confession"  of  Mr. 
Bull: 

"I  confess  I  did  not  expect  to  arrive  at  so  great  a  success  so  soon,  but  when  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  find  the  Concord  among  the  first  crop  of  seedlings,  the 
thought  dawned  upon  me  that  in  the  perhaps  far-off  future  higher  success  awaited 
the  cultivator  who  had  the  patience  to  wait,  I  had  almost  said  also  the  courage 
to  venture,  for  I  was  sensible  that  any  attempt  to  improve  the  wild  grape  would 
be  considered  an  imputation  upon  the  judgment  and  sagacity  of  the  Creator. 
Fully  aware  of  this,  I  kept  my  own  counsel,  and  if  I  had  not  succeeded  nobody 
would  have  known  that  I  had  ventured." 

And  above  the  old  fireplace  in  the  dining-room  is  painted : 

"Final  summing  up  of  thirty-seven  years'  work,  from  over  22,000  seedlings, 
twenty -one  grapes  which  in  the  light  of  to-day  I  consider  valuable.  I  had  at  one 
time  125  vines  which  I  thought  worth  saving,  but,  grown  more  critical  with  every 
new  success,  I  have  discarded  most  of  them." 

What  a  world  of  patience  and  love  of  his  work  this  discloses ;  I  was  told  by 
one  of  Mr.  Bull's  old  neighbors  that  the  original  wild  grape  which  was  found 
ripening  in  August  Mr.  Bull  found  on  the  banks  of  Concord  river,  just  a  little 
above  the  old  bridge  where  the  battle  of  Concord  was  fought,  and  where  now 
stands  that  marvelously  beautiful  statue,  "The  Minute  Man,"  on  the  base  of 
which  is  carved : 

"By  the  rude  bridge  that  arched  the  flood, 

Their  flag  to  April's  breeze  unfurled, 
Here  once  the  embattled  farmers  stood, 
And  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world." 

Just  across  the  meadow  on  the  little  hill  stands  "The  Old  Manse,"  sacred  to 
all  lovers  of  good  literature. 

Knowing  the  classic  surroundings  of  the  birth  of  the  Concord  grape,  perhaps 
some  of  our  readers  will  enjoy  a  little  more  the  refreshing  fruit  from  their  own 
vine  descended  from  this  parent  vine,  which  old  Ephraim  Wales  Bull  gave  to  the 
world  fifty-eight  years  ago. 


EVOLUTION  OF  THE  AMERICAN  GRAPE. 

"Evolution  of  Native  Fruits,"  by  Bailey. 

The  first  American  grape  introduced  was  the  Cape  or  Alexander,  found  wild 
in  the  woods  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Catawba  was  found  in  the  woods  in  South 
Carolina,  and  introduced  by  John  Adlum,  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  1802. 
The  Concord  was  found  by  E.  W.  Bull,  in  his  garden  in  Concord,  Mass.  Wor- 
den  is  a  seedling  of  the  Concord.  Delaware  was  found  in  the  garden  of  a  French- 
man in  New  Jersey.  Brighton  was  produced  by  crossing  the  Concord  and  Diana 
— Hamburg  (a  hybrid)  by  Jacob  Moore,  then  of  Brighton,  N.  Y.  Diana  came 
from  a  Catawba  seed,  at  Milton,  Mass.;  Moore's  Early  came  from  a  Concord 
seed;  Clinton  came  up  at  Clinton,  N.  Y.;  Norton's  Virginia,  a  Virginia  wildling 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  7 

of  18,35.  Rogers's  hybrids  created  a  great  stir.  T.  V.  Muiyson,  of  Texas,  is  doing 
a  great  work  in  cross-fertilizing  and  growing  hybrid  grapes.  Most  of  these 
hybrids  obtain  their  excellent  qualities  from  some  of  the  European,  and  their 
vigor  and  hardihood  from  their  native  American  ancestry.  Some  are  of  second 
or  even  third  crossings  of  hybrids  on  hybrids,  or  hybrids  and  European  on  native. 
The  American  hybridizer  cares  little  for  ancestry,  excepting  asit;adds  an  ele- 
ment of  anxiety  and  uncertainty  to  its  influence,  but  he  goes  for  a  combination 
of  certain  desired  qualities,  and  only  partially  successful,  he  goes  still  farther  in 
the  combination  to  remedy  the  defect ;  and  this  plan,  while  not  scientific,  is  bound 
to  succeed,  because  it  has  an  aim,  a  goal,  an  ideal,  and,  with  patience  and  perse- 
verance, this  ideal  will  be  attained,  if  not  set  too  high. 


STATISTICAL  UPS  AND  DOWNS  IN  KANSAS. 

No  reliable  statistics  of  the  acreage  of  vineyards  in  the  counties  were  taken 
previous  to  1881. 

In  1881,  we  find  Doniphan  county  in  the  lead,  with  384  acres.  It  was  also  first 
in  acreage  in  '82,  '84,  '85,  '89,  '91,  '92,  and  '93,  with  varying  acreage,  from  414  to 
567.  It  was  second  in  '87,  '96,  and  '98,  with  480  and  537  acres,  respectively.  It 
was  third  in  '83,  '95,  '97,  '99,  and  1900,  with  414,  457,  497,  450  and  351  acres,  re- 
spectively; fourth  in  '86  and  '94,  with  335  acres  and  308  acres,  respectively. 
Thus  Doniphan  county  was  first  in  acreage  for  ten  years,  second  for  three  years, 
third  for  five  years,  fourth  for  two  years,  standing  third  in  1900,  with  351  acres. 

Washington  county  was  reported  second  in  1881,  with  293  acres,  and  in  '95,  with 
252  acres,  but  did  not  hold  out,  and  is  now  (1900}  reported  with  only  84  acres,  be- 
ing twenty-second  in  rank. 

Douglas  county  was  third  in  1881,  with  206  acres.  It  has  varied  in  standing 
from  tnird  to  seventeenth,  with  from  134  to  239  acres,  ranking  now  (1900)  twelfth, 
with  157  acres. 

Leavenworth  county  was  fifth  in  1881,  with  181  acres;  in  '98  it  ranked  third, 
with  232  acres.  Its  greatest  acreage  was  in  '93,  when  it  ranked  fourth,  with 
274  acres.  In  1900  it  ranked  tenth,  with  167  acres. 

Sedgwick  county  came  to  the  front  in  1894,  ranking  first,  with  445  acres;  also 
ranking  first  in  '96,  with  565  acres.  In  '89,  '91,  '92,  '93,  '97,  '99  and  1900  it 
ranked  second,  having  now  (1900)  404  acres. 

Wyandotte  county  was  ninth,  with  147  acres,  in  1881,  and  has  never  fallen  back 
much,  although  in  1888  it  ranked  thirteenth,  with  164  acres;  it  was  in  the 
lead,  ranking  first,  in  1895,  '97,  '98,  '99,  and  1900*  varying  from  550  to  709  acres, 
with  1900  at  538  acres. 

Nemaha  county  claimed  second  place  in  1884,  with  393  acres,  and  third  place 
in  1886,  with  391  acres,  falling  back  to  fourteenth  place,  with  131  acres,  in  1900. 

Chase  county  got  third  place  in  1885,  with  212 ;  stands  now  (1900)  No.  42,  with 
only  24  acres. 

Saline  county  got  third  place,  in  1891,  with  348  acres,  but  went  back  to  thirty- 
first  place,  with  51  acres,  in  1900. 

The  above  ups  and  downs,  covering  nine  leading  counties,  while  they  pos- 
sibly point  out  the  best  localities  for  successful  grape  growing,  do  not  indicate 
that  grapes  will  not  do  well  elsewhere.  Grapes  grow  readily  from  cuttings,  and 
many  people  once  put  out  large  tracts  so  located  that  they  had  no  market;  thus 
grapes  became  very  plentiful  and  cheap,  and  the  vines  were  neglected  and  the 
acreage  fell  off. 

To-day —1900— the  leading  counties  are :  Wyandotte,  538  acres ;  Sedgwick,  404 
acres;  and  Doniphan,  351  acres. 


8  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


PROPAGATION  BY  SEED. 

New  varieties  of  the  grape  can  only  be  obtained  by  propagation  from  seed. 
Many  of  our  prominent  and  useful  varieties  were  accidental  seedlings  that  fell 
into  the  hands  of  wise  and  careful  horticulturists.  But  many  vineyardiets  are  ap- 
plying themselves  to  the  propagation  of  grape-vines  from  seed  of  known  parentage, 
the  blossoms  being  fertilized  by  hand  and  seed  thus  obtained  carefully  labeled, 
and  the  little  seedlings  tended  to  in  a  most  solicitous  manner. 

In  Kansas  our  fruit  should  be  like  our  people,  vigorous  and  up  to  date; 
therefore  do  not  plant  grape  seeds  from  vines  of  any  but  the  best  varieties,  of  vig- 
orous growth,  strong,  thick  foliage,  free  from  mildew,  and  hardy ;  also  be  sure 
the  grapes  are  ripe.  Do  not  even  then  expect  too  much.  Grape  seedlings  are 
not  like  grape  cuttings,  and  are  often  frail,  delicate,  and  puny,  requiring  your 
close  attention  until  they  are  able  to  cope  with  the  world.  Another  thing :  do 
not  pull  up  the  weaker  or  delicate  ones  as  soon  as  a  few  vigorous  ones  come  into 
bearing ;  the  chances  are  that  the  delicate  and  backward  ones  may  have  the  bet- 
ter fruit.  The  vigorous  early  bearers  may  take  after  a  wild  ancestor. 


PROPAGATION  BY  CUTTINGS. 

From  Caiman's  Rural  World. 

In  pruning  vines,  the  wood  of  which  I  wish  to  propagate,  I  merely  cut  loose 
from  the  trellis,  cut  out  the  old  wood  that  is  to  be  abandoned,  and  cut  the  lateral 
branches  and  tendrils  off;  then,  afterward,  cut  them  to  the  proper  shape,  carry- 
ing the  wood  in  canes  to  the  house  to  dress  the  cuttings  ready  for  planting,  which 
I  have  often  done  in  the  fall  with  success.  Owing  to  the  danger  of  having  them 
heaved  out  somewhat  by  frost,  I  have  for  many  years  planted  them  out  in  the 
spring.  Make  the  cuttings  six  to  ten  inches  long,  according  to  the  joints,  as  a 
cutting  should  have  two  or  three  eyes,  and  some  short- jointed  varieties  may  have 
four  or  five  eyes.  Cut  under  the  lower  bud,  at  right  angles  with  the  bud  [that 
is,  square  across]  and  one-half  inch  above  the  upper  bud.  Tie  in  bundles  of  100 
or  200  each  and  bury,  covering  about  six  inches  with  earth.  Some  recommend 
burying  them  upside  down,  but  I  have  found  that  it  makes  but  little  difference 
whether  right  or  wrong  side  up,  or  lying  horizontal.  If  the  wood  is  sound  when 
put  in,  the  cuttings  will  come  out  all  right  in  the  spring. 

As  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground  in  the  spring,  and  it  is  dry  enough  to 
work  well,  they  may  be  planted  in  rows  three  feet  apart,  and  from  three  to  six 
inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Make  a  slanting  trench  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees, 
deep  enough  to  hold  the  cuttings,  so  that  the  upper  eye  will  be  half  an  inch  under 
ground  when  the  earth  is  leveled.  When  the  cuttings  are  laid  in,  always  have 
the  top  bud  on  the  upper  side,  so  that  the  shoot  can  start  straight  out,  fill  the 
trench  over  half  full  and  tread  the  ground  firmly,  then  fill  in  the  rest  of  the  soil 
loosely.  Of  about  10,000  put  in  last  spring,  not  five  per  cent,  failed.  These  are 
as  fine  a  lot  of  plants  as  I  ever  grew.  The  cestivalis  class  is  difficult  to  grow  • 
from  cuttings,  and  these  are  propagated  by  layers.  [See  elsewhere.]  At  times, 
when  ready  to  set  out  my  grape  cuttings,  I  found  the  base  of  them  calloused, 
and  the  buds  swollen,  ready  to  burst.  When  in  this  condition,  they  should  not 
be  exposed  to  the  sun  or  air  any  length  of  time. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  9 


PROPAGATION  OF  GRAPE-VINES  BY  LAYERING. 

Layering  is  a  method  of  raising  young  vines  by  burying  a  branch  of  an  old 
vine  while  it  is  still  attached  to  the  original  root.  The  plan  is  especially  desirable 
for  growing  vines  which  do  not  root  readily  from  cuttings,  as  well  as  to  get  bear- 
ing vines  quickly.  Layers  usually  fruit  at  least  a  year  soorer  than  those  grown 
from  cuttings.  Strong  canes  of  well-ripened  wood  should  be  selected,  choosing 
those  that  can  be  bent  to  the  ground  without  breaking.  The  soil  should  be  dug 
away  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three  inches  and  the  cane  laid  into  the  trench  with  the 
end  left  out.  The  cane  should  be  fastened  down  firmly  with  pegs  and  be  covered 
with  only  a  small  depth  of  soil,  perhaps  an  inch  at  first.  The  work  is  usually 
done  in  June,  but  can  be  done  later  if  water  is  given  occasionally,  so  the  young 
roots  will  not  dry  out.  At  every  joint  of  the  covered  cane  roots  will  start  out, 
and  the  latent  buds  will  develop  into  new  shoots.  Not  all  should  be  allowed  to 
grow,  however,  as  there  is  not  sufficient  strength  for  all;  so  the  rankest-growing 
shoots  are  selected  and  the  other  ones  broken  off,  only  about  half  that  start  be- 
ing allowed  to  grow.  When  the  shoots  are  a  few  inches  in  height  stakes  should 
be  provided,  as  the  growth  is  much  more  rapid  when  support  is  given  them. 
When  the  shoots  get  nicely  above  ground  a  little  more  soil  may  be  hoed  around 
them  every  time  they  are  cultivated,  until  the  trench  is  a  little  more  than  even 
full.  The  reason  for  filling  it  up  slowly  is  because,  if  too  great  depth  of  earth  is 
over  the  cane  at  first,  it  will  be  liable  to  rot.  These  layered  vines  should  be  cul- 
tivated once  a  week  until  late  in  the  season,  except  there  should  be  a  period  of 
very  dry  weather,  when  it  might  be  best  to  mulch  them  heavily  with  strawy 
manure  and  give  up  cultivation  for  the  rest  of  the  season.  In  late  fall  the  young 
plants  can  be  separated  and  set  out  in  the  vineyard,  or  stored  in  a  cool  cellar  till 
spring. 


SPRING  AND  SUMMER  LAYERING,  AND  HOW  PERFORMED. 

Layering  is  the  simplest,  surest  and  easiest  method  of  increasing  the  grape, 
and  is  the  best  way  to  grow  vines  where  only  a  few  are  wanted.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  layers,  called  spring  and  summer  layers,  from  the  season  at  which  they 
are  made. 

Summmer  layers  are  made  in  the  summer,  generally  the  last  of  July,  from  a 
branch  of  the  same  season's  growth.  They  are  likely  to  be  weak  for  several 
years,  and  do  not  make  as  good  plants  as  the  spring  layers.  In  making  them  the 
wood  should  be  slit  for  an  inch  or  so  near  the  buds  that  are  covered.  Bury  about 
one  foot  of  the  cane  four  inches  deep  in  the  ground  and  it  will  be  rooted  by  late 
autumn,  when  it  should  be  separated  and  be  treated  as  a  young  vine,  and  it  is 
generally  best  to  get  them  well  started  in  a  garden  or  nursery  before  planting  in 
the  vineyard  permanently. 

Spring  layers  may  be  made  by  laying  down  any  cane  early  in  the  spring.  It 
will  root  in  one  season.  By  fall  it  will  have  made  a  good  growth  of  roots,  when 
it  may  be  cut  from  the  main  cane,  and,  if  strong,  it  may  be  divided  into  two 
plants.  By  a  little  different  treatment  of  the  spring  layer  a  vine  may  be  grown 
from  each  bud  on  the  layered  cane.  For  this  purpose  some  thrifty  cane  should 
be  selected  in  autumn,  pruned  of  its  laterals  and  buried.  In  the  spring  it 
should  be  uncovered  and  only  one  shoot  permitted  to  grow  from  each  joint. 


10  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

After  the  new  growth  has  started  about  six  inches  from  each  bud  the  whole  cane 
should  be  layered  about  four  inches  deep,  handling  it  carefully,  so  as  not  to  break 
the  new  growth. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  cover  it  not  more  than  three  inches  at  first,  and  to  fill  up 
the  trench  as  the  shoots  grow.  If  covered  four  inches  deep  at  once,  the  young 
growth  will  sometimes  rot,  though  this  seldom  happens,  and  some  skilful  grow- 
ers fill  the  trench  full  at  once.  In  the  autumn  roots  will  be  found  growing  from 
^ach  joint,  and  these  may  be  cut  apart.  If  this  method  of  propagation  is  used 
to  some  considerable  extent,  vines  should  be  grown  especially  for  the  purpose. 
It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  use  fruiting  vines  for  layering,  though  it  may  be  safely 
done  in  a  small  way,  says  a  Farm  and  Fireside  writer,  in  concluding  the  advice 
here  reproduced. 


SUCCESSFUL  GRAPE  GRAFTING. 

An  old  Clinton  vine  stood  at  the  corner  of  the  woodhouse  which  was  so  vigor- 
ous that  its  branches  spread  over  everything  within  reach,  but  bore  no  fruit.  In 
April,  1896,  I  cut  branches  off  close  to  the  ground  and  grafted  in  a  Delaware 
grape  and  an  lona.  I  used  no  wax;  simply  wrapped  carefully  with  strings  of 
<iloth,  pasted  a  little  mud  over  the  wounds,  and  covered  all  with  earth  except 
the  top  buds  of  the  grafts.  Those  grafts  made  a  wonderful  growth  the  first 
season,  owing  to  the  far-reaching  roots  of  the  Clinton  vine.  At  close  of  the  first 
season  the  lona  vine  was  about  eighteen  feet  long  and  the  Delaware  about 
twelve.  This  season,  with  the  vines  one  year  old,  the  Delaware  branch  bore 
twenty-four  as  fine  bunches  of  grapes  as  I  ever  saw.  The  bunches  and  berries 
were  slightly  larger  than  the  Delaware  generally  grows  and  so  compact  on  the 
stems  that  they  could  not  be  picked  off  easily  without  beginning  at  the  end  of 
the  bunch. 

The  lona  branch  bore  about  forty  bunches  of  lona  grapes  of  the  finest  quality. 
This  is  a  quick  way  of  getting  a  grape- vine  into  bearing.  I  tried  the  same  ex- 
periment on  a  wild  grape-vine  down  in  the  pasture.  It  grew  just  as  vigorously, 
but  an  inquisitive  Jersey  cow  spoiled  the  experiment. 


PRUNING  THE  GRAPE. 

In  pruning  fruit-bearing  trees,  we  prune  for  shape  and  to  let  in  sun  and  air. 
In  pruning  the  grape,  the  essential  point  is  to  lessen  the  growth  to  save  the  vine 
from  exhausting  itself,  and  either  dying  in  its  efforts  at  producing  a  prodigious 
crop  or  producing  inferior  fruit  or  small  clusters.  On  a  grape-vine  three  or  more 
years  of  age,  in  Kansas,  we  can  rely  upon  every  healthy  bud  producing  a  shoot, 
and  most  of  these  shoots  bringing  to  light  three  or  more  clusters  of  embryo 
grapes.  Unless  thinned  these^are  more  than  any  vine  can  properly  mature.  The 
best  way  to  thin  grapes  is  by  pruning  the  vine  at  a  time  when  it  will  be  least  in- 
jurious—  from  November  to  March  is  the  time ;  and  as  you  can  count  on  a  vigor- 
ous, thrifty  vine  doing  its  part,  you  should  leave  about  one-third  as  many  healthy 
buds  as  the  number  of  bunches  of  grapes  you  think  the  vine  can  or  ought  to  ma- 
ture. As  grapes  will  average  four  or  five  bunches  to  a  pound,  and  a  vine  may 
bear  from  twelve  to  thirty  pounds,  it  is  easy  to  calculate  about  how  many  buds 
to  leave.  If  you  prune  on  the  arm  and  spur  system — that  is,  arms  of  previous 
year's  growth  to  be  tied  to  the  trellis,  and  spurs  made  of  last  year's  growth,  cut 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  11 

to  within  two  buds  of  the  arm  —  you  can  readily  count  your  next  year's  grapes  at 
pruning  time.  No  other  fruit  will  come  so  near  to  the  grower's  calculation  if  he 
prunes  with  an  object.  Haphazard  pruning  will  not  tend  to  productiveness. 

The  grape  is  a  wonderful  renewer,  and  strange  as  it  may  sound,  the  more  you 
cut  away,  up  to  a  certain  limit,  the  finer  and  more  plentiful  the  fruit.  The  aim 
the  first  year  is  for  root  growth;  therefore  one  cane  as  near  the  ground  as  possible 
is  all  that  should  be  left  to  grow.  In  congenial  ground  and  favorable  weather 
this  cane  will  grow  long,  strong,  and  vigorous.  If  it  grows  weakly,  then  at  prun- 
ing time  cut  it  within  three  buds  of  the  root  and  let  only  one  cane  grow  the  sec- 
ond year.  If  it  was  vigorous  the  first  year  you  may  let  two  canes  grow  the  second 
year,  and  if  you  want  these  canes  to  be  first  class  and  useful,  rub  off  all  other 
shoots  as  they  start.  At  pruning  time,  November  to  March,  after  the  second 
year,  cut  the  two  canes  anywhere  from  four  to  six  feet  from  the  main  stem,  and 
tie  them  apart  like  the  letter  V,  or  wide  apart  on  lower  wire,  according  to  style  of 
trellis  used.  In  spring  every  bud  will  break  into  a  thrifty  shoot  and  several  will 
produce  fruit.  After  this  you  can  keep  the  arms  and  prune  the  new  growth  back 
to  two  buds.  You  can  also  grow  two  additional  arms  from  near  the  fork  if  you 
wish. 

Your  spurs  with  two  buds  each  will  produce  fruiting  shoots,  and  at  pruning 
time  you  cut  away  the  upper  one  and  cut  the  lower  one  back  to  two  buds.  This 
is  all  there  is  to  the  arm-and-spur  system.  You  can  add  two  more  arms,  making 
six  or  even  eight,  as  the  vine  grows  older,  and  the  arms  may  be  of  such  length 
as  will  cover  a  trellis  to  suit ;  a  ways  remembering  to  provide  room  for  the  new 
shoot  that  is  sure  to  come  from  each  healthy  bud.  The  renewal  system  grows 
new  arms  each  year,  and  at  pruning  time  cuts  away  two  or  more  of  the  older 
arms.  If  you  have  s  x  arms,  two  are  nr"  •.  ^  have  borne  one  crop,  two  have 
borne  twice.  These  latter  will  be  cut  away  and  two  new  ones  grown  the  follow- 
ing year.  This  system  also  uses  the  spurs  on  its  older  canes. 

If  you  would  summer  prune,  do  it  on  this  wise :  Rub  off  all  irregular  or  weak 
shoots ;  then,  after  the  fruit-buds  show  the  cluster  formation  and  the  shoot  con- 
tinues to  grow,  clip  off  the  end  one  or  two  leaves  or  joints  beyond  the  last  bunch. 
Soon  after,  the  axillary  buds  at  the  base  of  each  leaf  will  start;  pinch  them  off. 
The  Germans  call  these  thieves,  as  they  claim  they  rob  the  bunches  of  nutriment 
and  deteriorate  their  quality.  This  is  all  there  is  to  summer  pruning. 


PRUNING  GRAPE-VINES. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  pruning  grape-vines,  and  at  a  certain  time  of 
the  year,  in  order  to  get  the  best  results  from  them.  My  experience  has  taught 
me  that  the  last  of  November  or  the  first  of  December,  after  the  leaves  have  fallen 
and  the  sap  has  gone  down  to  the  roots,  is  the  best  time. 

Then  cut  the  new  wood  back  to  two  joints  of  the  wood  that  grew  during 
the  previous  season.  One  joint  is  better  than  two,  but  it  is  not  safe  to  cut  so 
close  as  that  at  this  season ;  the  vine,  being  so  porous  in  the  end  when  it  is  cut, 
will  take  in  water  then  freeze  and  split.  Sometimes  it  will  go  through  the  first 
joint,  so  as  to  spoil  it  to  start  in  the  spring.  It  is  in  these  joints  where  the  new 
shoots  start  out  to  grow,  and  if  split  by  the  frost  will  spoil  that  part  of  the 
vine.  For  this  reason  it  is  better  to  leave  two  joints  and  be  safe.  Some  may 
say,  Why  not  wait  until  spring,  then  cut  back  to  one  joint  ?  I  have  tried  both 
ways,  and  I  do  not  get  as  good  results  in  the  spring  as  in  the  fall.  For  this 
reason  we  want  to  be  sure  and  do  it  before  the  sap  begins  to  go  up,  so  the  wood 


12  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

will  have  a  little  time  to  dry  and  season  at  the  ends,  or  a  great  loss  of  sap  will  be 
the  result,  and  your  vine  will  be  weakened  thereby,  and  your  crop  will  be  smalB 
in  quantity  as  well  as  quality. 

Oftentimes  in  the  early  spring  we  have  a  very  warm  spell  for  two  or  even  three 
weeks,  and  the  sap  will  start  to  go  up  the  vine  and  buds  will  begin  to  swell,  and 
will  look  as  if  they  were  ready  to  open  in  a  few  days  more.  Then  it  will  come  on 
cold  again,  but  the  sap  will  not  go  down  again  until  it  has  put  forth  leaves,  as 
nature's  laws  have  so  provided.  Then,  if  you  cut  your  vines  there  is  a  loss  in 
sap  and  vitality,  which  causes  the  vine  to  be  injured.  When  the  branches  start 
to  grow  they  should  be  trained  up  on  building  or  trellis,  and  not  allow  more  than 
two  good  clusters  on  a  single  shoot ;  if  you  do  they  will  be  small,  and  will  not  fill 
out  well  and  be  more  or  less  imperfect.  After  the  little  grapes  have  set,  then 
the  top  end  of  the  shoot  containing  the  grapes  should  have  about  two  inches 
pinched  off.  This  will  check  the  growth  of  the  vine  and  throw  more  strength 
and  vigor  into  the  clusters  and  make  the  grapes  larger  and  better. 


GIRDLING  AND   PINCHING  GRAPES. 
By  J.  C.  WHITTEN,  Columbia,  Mo. 

The  subject  of  girdling  and  of  summer  pinching  of  the  vine  is  a  sufficiently 
large  one,  and  discussion  of  it  may  not  be  amiss. 

We  have  in  the  experimental  vineyard,  at  this  writing  (July  30),  girdled  grape 
shoots  bearing  fruit  that  is  turning  color,  while  the  fruit  on  normal  shoots  of  the 
same  vine  is  entirely  green.  Girdled  peach  branches  are  bearing  fruit  that  is 
much  larger  and  nearer  ripe  than  normal  branches  on  the  same  tree.  Not  only 
is  fruit  larger  and  earlier  on  branches  of  vines  and  trees  that  were  girdled  this 
summer,  but  certain  apple  trees  on  the  experimental  grounds  bore  blossoms  and 
set  fruit  this  year  on  branches  that  were  girdled  last  year,  while  none  of  their 
normal  branches  had  any  flowers  at  all.  The  effects  of  girdling  a  fruit-bearing 
branch  to  increase^the  size  and  hasten  the  ripening  of  its  fruit,  and  of  girdling  a 
non- fruitful  branch  to  throw  it  into  bearing  the  next  year,  are  so  well  known  that 
in  some  places  the  practice  of  girdling  is  quite  common.  At  shows,  fruit  from 
girdled  branches  is  barred  from  competition  with  normally  grown  fruit,  on  ac- 
count of  the  fact  that  it  is  expected  to  be  of  unusual  size,  though  the  branch, 
was  destroyed  in  producing  it. 

Commercially,  girdling  is  not  much  practiced,  because,  as  noted  by  Mr.  Bent, 
the  branch  just  below  the  girdle  is  not  properly  nourished  and  weakens  or  some- 
times dies  from  the  effects  of  this  operation.  The  reasons  for  the  above  will  be 
understood  if  briefly  stated,  as^follows: 

The  sap,  when  taken  up  by  the  roots,  is  not  ready  to  directly  nourish  the  treer 
but  is  carried  upward  through  the  sap-wood  to  the  leaves,  where  a  part  of  the 
water  is  evaporated  into  the  atmosphere.  In  the  leaves  the  food  materials  in  the 
sap  and  the  gases  taken  in  from  the  air  are  elaborated  (or  digested),  and  are  then 
ready  to  be  distributed  over  the  tree  and  to  produce  growth.  This  elaborated 
food  is  carried  back  in  the  growing  or  cambium  layer  to  nourish  all  parts  of  the 
tree.  A  girdle  does  not  injure  the  sapwood,  and  hence  does  not  retard  the  up- 
ward movement  of  the  crude  sap.  The  same  girdle  does,  however,  destroy  the 
soft-growing  layer  just  inside  the  bark,  and  prevents  the  return  of  the  elaborated 
food,  which  collects  in  the  girdled  branch  and  causes  unusual  growth,  not  only 
of  the  branch  above  the  girdle,  but  also  of  any  fruit  that  may  be  growing  on  it. 
As  soon  as  a  girdle  is  made,  the  plant  attempts  to  heal  over  the  wound.  A  press- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  13 

ing  downward  of  new  tissue  may  soon  be  noticed  above  the  girdle.  If  the  ring 
of  bark  taken  off  was  not  too  wide,  it  may  heal  over,  and'  the  elaborated  food 
again  begins  to  be  carried  downward  to  nourish  the  parts  below.  Unless  the 
wound  heals  over,  the  parts  immediately  below  the  girdle  suffer  for  want  of  food, 
and  eventually  die,  thus  destroying  the  whole  branch. 

Regarding  the  pinching  of  vines,  since  all  the  food  of  the  plant  is  elaborated 
in  the  leaves,  it  would,  at  first  thought,  seem  advisable  to  encourage  unlimited 
growth  and  the  formation  of  as  many  leaves  as  possible.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
however,  judicious  summer  pinching  of  fruiting  shoots  is  often  advisable.  Some- 
times the  tendency  seems  to  be  to  center  the  energies  of  the  plant  in  producing 
mere  length  of  wood  growth,  and  the  energies  of  the  plant  are  diverted  away  from 
nourishing  the  fruit  and  centered  upon  the  production  of  leaves  and  canes.  In 
such  cases  pinching  back  the  growing  point  often  checks  wood  growth  and  more 
of  the  elaborate  food  goes  to  nourish  the  fruit.  Reducing  the  number  of  leaves 
too  much,  however,  will  undoubtedly  prevent  the  elaboration  of  sufficient  food, 
and  the  whole  plant,  fruit  and  all,  will  suffer.  It  is  merely  a  question  of  so  bal- 
ancing the  treatment  that  enough  foliage  will  remain  and  still  not  encourage  the 
vine  to  run  to  wood.  The  amount  of  pruning  or  pinching  necessary  varies  with 
the  variety,  and  also  depends  upon  the  soil,  climate,  and  other  conditions;  hence, 
the  grower  should  get  the  principles  well  fixed  in  mind  and  then  adjust  the  treat- 
ment to  suit  his  conditions. 


GIRDLING  GRAPE-VINES. 

Among  the  many  artificial  expedients  for  making  plants  do  as  one  wishes,  that 
of  girdling  or  ringing  the  grape,  which  is  now  and  then  practiced  by  horticultur- 
ists, is  not  the  least  curious  and  interesting.  It  consists  of  the  entire  removal  of 
the  bark  just  below  the  fruit  cluster  about  a  month  before  the  time  of  ripening. 
Its  effect  is  to  hasten  the  ripening  by  a  week  or  two,  and  to  increase  the  size  of 
the  fruit.  The  sap  ascends  through  the  pores  of  the  wood  and  sustains  growth, 
but  on  descending  the  elaborated  sap,  which  passes  down  between  the  wood  and 
the  bark,  can  go  no  lower  than  the  point  where  the  vine  has  been  girdled.  It 
stops  there  and  goes  to  feeding  the  bunch  of  grapes  growing  at  that  point.  Of 
course,  ringing  is  a  thing  that  can  only  be  done  to  a  limited  extent,  and  the  ex- 
periment can  only  be  tried  on  scattering  branches.  It  is  evident  that  all  that 
part  of  the  vine  below  the  cut  will  suffer  the  following  year,  and  that  the  entire 
vine  itself  would  be  permanently  injured  and  perhaps  destroyed  if  the  practice 
were  made  at  all  general.  As  an  interesting  experiment,  however,  to  be  made  on 
branches  that  one  thinks  of  removing  anyhow,  a  trial  of  ringing  will  furnish  an 
interesting  study  to  those  curious  in  such  matters. 


GIRDLING  GRAPE-VINES. 

The  opinions  of  grape  growers  vary  as  to  the  advantage  of  girdling  the  grape- 
vine to  induce  it  to  color  and  ripen  its  fruit  earlier.  Most  of  those  who  live  in 
the  best  grape-growing  locations  are  opposed  to  the  practice,  as  it  secures  earli- 
ness  and  greater  size  of  fruit  at  the  expense  of  quality.  The  operation  is  per- 
formed by  cutting  a  circle  back  of  the  new  shoot  below  the  first  bunch,  after  the 
grapes  have  set.  Before  that  time  the  new  wood  will  not  have  firm  enough  bark 
to  be  ringed.  The  effect  of  ringing  the  branch  is  to  stop  the  flow  of  sap  back- 


14  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

ward  to  the  root  after  it  has  gone  to  the  leaves  and  has  absorbed  carbonic-acid 
gas  from  the  air.  The  roots  need  this  carbon  as  well  as  the  leaves,  fruit,  and 
branches.  If  a  vine  were  girdled  thus  near  the  ground,  its  roots  would  have 
their  supply  cut  off  and  would  perish.  That  would  kill  the  vine.  Usually,  how- 
ever, only  one  or,  at  most,  two  shoots  on  a  vine  are  girdled,  and  as  these  are  all 
cut  away  in  the  fall  pruning,  no  harm  results  to  the  vine.  Where  the  ringing  of 
the  shoot  is  done  there  is  a  material  enlargement  of  the  shoot,  caused  by  the  re- 
turning sap.  Some  of  this  goes  into  the  fruit,  causing  it  to  grow  to  a  larger  size. 
But  there  is  too  much  of  this  sap  for  the  good  of  the  grapes,  which  taste  as  if 
they  had  been  grown  in  a  wet,  cloudy  summer.  The  highest  flavor  of  grapes  can 
only  be  secured  where  there  is  an  unobstructed  flow  of  sap  back  to  the  root,  so 
that  they  do  not  get  too  much  of  it.  Still,  if  you  have  varieties  that  will  not 
ripen  in  your  section,  it  may  pay  to  ring  some,  for  a  grape  thus  artificially 
ripened  is  far  better  than  one  that  remains  green  until  frost  stops  further  ripen- 
ing. 


HOW  RINGING  AFFECTS  GRAPES. 

Ringing  grapes  is  practiced  by  many  growers  to  secure  early  maturity  and 
larger  bunches.  It  consists  simply  of  removing  a  ring  of  bark  from  the  bearing 
arm  between  the  main  vine  and  the  buds  which  are  to  produce  fruit  the  first 
season.  This  does  not  interfere  with  the  ascent  of  the  sap,  but  it  does  prevent 
the  return  of  the  food  that  has  been  formed  in  the  leaves.  The  parts  of  the 
branch  above  the  ring  can  draw  upon  all  the  food  formed  in  the  leaves  of  that 
branch.  As  a  result  the  overfed  bunches  grow  faster  and  become  larger  than 
they  otherwise  would. 

This  matter  is  fully  treated  by  F.  H.  Hall,  in  Bulletin  No.  151  of  the  New 
York  Experiment  Station,  where  results  of  quite  extended  experiments  are  re- 
corded. These  experiments  tend  to  show  that  ringing  will  mature  grapes  of 
some  varieties  earlier  and  will  also  produce  larger  and  more  compact  bunches. 
The  difference  will  vary  with  the  variety,  season,  condition  of  foliage,  amount  of 
fruit  allowed  to  mature  on  one  vine,  etc.  The  quality  of  finely  flavored  grapes, 
however,  is  liable  to  be  lowered.  This  may  be  remedied  to  some  extent  by  trim- 
ming the  ringed  vines  so  that  but  little  new  growth  forms.  With  careful  man- 
agement the  vitality  of  the  vines  need  not  be  seriously  injured.  The  whole 
question  of  the  desirability  of  ringing  and  the  profit  from  the  process  is  one 
which  the  grower  must  decide  for  himself. 


FALL  PRUNING  OF  THE  VINEYARD. 

Vineyards  located  where  the  winters  are  so  mild  that  the  vines  need  no  pro- 
tection against  cold,  that  they  need  not  be  covered  in  order  to  save  them  from 
destruction,  may  be  pruned  either  in  autumn  or  spring,  at  the  option  or  conven- 
ience of  the  owner. 

But  vineyards  in  middle  and  northern  Minnesota,  where  the  vines  for  safety 
must  be  put  under  ground,  necessarily  must  be  pruned  before  such  work  can  be 
done,  as  it  would  be  impracticable  to  remove  the  vines  from  the  wire  trellis  and 
bury  the  entire  season's  growth.  If  the  vines  were  trained  to  stakes  rather  than 
to  wire  trellises,  the  vines  might  be  given  a  preliminary  pruning  by  which  the 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  15 

vines  could  be  sufficiently  shortened  to  enable  them  to  be  readily  buried,  and 
then  in  the  spring,  when  the  vine  was  again  tied  to  the  stake,  they  could  be  pruned 
to  the  proper  length. 

As  to  the  effect  of  spring  or  autumn  pruning  on  the  succeeding  crop,  other 
things  being  equal,  I  believe  that  pruning  in  the  spring  is  best.  In  my  experi- 
ence with  a  vineyard  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson  during  twelve  years,  where  the 
vines  did  not  require  winter  protection,  I  found  that  pruning  in  March  and  early 
April,  rather  than  in  the  fall,  resulted  in  the  best  crop,  for  the  reason  that  in  fall 
pruning  the  fruit-buds  nearest  to  the  excision  of  the  cane  was  liable  to  die  for 
want  of  moisture  or  other  cause,  thus  greatly  diminishing  the  number  of  fruit- 
bearing  buds. 

The  method  of  double  pruning  when  practicable  would  require  more  labor 
than  in  complete  autumn  pruning,  but  probably  the  extra  labor  would  be  more 
than  paid  for  in  a  larger  crop. — M.  M.  Frisselle. 


PRUNING  GRAPE-VINES. 

Grape-vines  may  be  pruned  any  time  after  the  leaves  drop  in  the  fall  until  the 
buds  begin  to  push  in  the  spring.  No  man  can  explain  to  another  just  how  the 
work  should  be  done,  because  no  established  rule  can  be  laid  down.  A  satis- 
factory knowledge  of  pruning  can  only  be  obtained  by  experience  and  a  judicious 
study  of  nature. 

Different  varieties  require  different  treatment,  and  it  takes  time  and  study  to 
find  out  what  the  requirements  are.  Nevertheless  a  few  suggestions  on  the  sub- 
ject might  prove  helpful  to  an  inquiring  subscriber  and  others. 

Beginners  are  more  liable  to  cause  injury  by  leaving  too  much  wood  on  their 
vines  than  by  pruning  too  closely.  Another  common  mistake  is  that  of  leaving 
the  largest  canes  for  fruiting  where  smaller  ones  would  give  better  results. 

Vines  just  planted  should  be  cut  back  to  two  or  three  buds ;  after  one  year's 
growth  cut  back  to  within  about  a  foot  of  the  ground,  more  or  less,  according  to 
growth.  Do  not  allow  vines  to  bear  the  second  year,  as  it  will  check  their 
growth  and  loss  will  result  in  [the  end.  An  occasional  bunch  may  be  left  on 
vigorous  vines,  but  it  will  pay  to  pull  most  of  them  off  when  in  bloom.  Judg- 
ment should  be  used  again  in  pruning  the  second  year's  growth.  The  average 
height  of  vine  when  pruned  should  be  about  four  feet. 

The  third  year  they  may  bear  considerable  fruit ;  but  in  case  there  are  weak 
vines,  these  should  not  be  allowed  to  bear  much,  which  will  allow  them  to  catch 
up  with  the  strong  ones,  This  exemplifies  the  importance  of  studying  each  vine 
in  the  vineyard,  whether  there  be  one  or  many  varieties,  and  treating  each  accord- 
ing to  its  needs. 

In  pruning  for  the  fourth  year's  crop,  the  lateral  branches,  which  form  during 
the  third  year's  growth,  should  be  cut  back  to  within  one  or  two  buds  of  the 
main  vine,  according  to  circumstances,  the  latter  being  cut  back  to  six  or  seven 
feet  in  length.  Varieties  which  have  a  tendency  to  overbear  should  be  pruned 
closer  and  some  of  the  bunches  taken  off  soon  after  fruit  has  set. 

This  treatment  also  applies  to  varieties  having  weak  foliage. 

There  are  various  ways  of  training  grapes,  but  this  is  simply  a  matter  of  taste, 
and  not  of  so  much  importance.  The  trellis  system  is  the  cheapest  way  of  sup- 
porting vines  and  makes  a  much  better  appearance  than  the  old  way  of  training 
to  stakes.  Where  a  trellis  is  used  the  main  vines  are  pruned  to  resemble  in  shape 


16 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


a  T  or,  when  two  wires  are  used,  a  double  T.  The  main  or  upright  part  of  vine 
may  remain  permanently,  but  the  two  or  four  laterals,  as  the  case  may  be,  should 
be  renewed  occasionally.  Grapes  that  are  decidedly  better  than  none  may  be 
.grown  with  but  little  care ;  but  if  first-class  fruit  that  would  sell  profitably  on 
the  market  is  desired,  the  above  instructions  cannot  be  too  closely  observed. — 
Edwin  H.  Riehl. 


THE  GRAPE  TRELLIS. 

In  building  a  grape  trellis,  if  fence-posts  are  used,  set  the  end  posts  so  that  the 
strain  of  the  wires  will  come  on  the  broad  side  of  them :  a  post  set  the  other  way 
will  be  pulled  out  of  place  in  a  few  years,  while  set  in  this  way,  the  posts  furnish 
a  greater  width  of  wood  to  pull  against,  and  they  remain  solid  for  many  years. 

For  tightening  trellis  wires,  make  the  wires  fast  at  one  end,  and  then  have  as 
many  blocks  of  wood  8x2x2  inches  as  there  are  wires.  Round  the  blocks  a  little 
near  the  middle,  so  that  the  wires  will  wind  around  them  easily,  bore  holes 
through  the  last  post,  put  the  wires  through  in  their  proper  places,  and,  instead 
of  fastening  them,  wind  them  around  the  blocks,  pulling  and  winding  until  they 
-are  perfectly  tight.  Leave  the  blocks  in  place,  and  any  time  when  the  wires  seem 
slack,  a  turn  or  two  of  the  blocks  [with  a  wrench]  will  bring  them  into  place  again. 

The  "point"  in  this  figure  is  the  double  wire  (a  a),  which  prevents  the  brace 
from  slipping  and  makes  it  one  with  the  post ;  a  very  useful  and  valuable  device. 


GRAPE  ARBORS  AND  VINES  AGAINST  THE  BUILDINGS. 

The  grape-vine  is  so  manageable,  and,  with  intelligent  training,  so  beautiful 
rand  profitable,  that  I  wonder  it  is  not  more  used  to  cover  verandas,  piazzas, 
porches,  stoops,  and  outbuildings.  Many  a  spot  given  up  to  morning-glories, 
•scarlet  runners,  cinnamon  vines,  etc.,  would  grow  a  fragrant  spring  bloom,  a 
luxuriant,  leafy  summer  shade,  and  many  pounds  of  luscious  grapes  in  autumn. 
Besides,  some  of  the  vines,  like  wistaria,  clematis,  and  honeysuckle,  are  persist- 
ent or  perennial,  and  cling  to  the  trellis  during  winter,  when  more  light  and  sun- 
shine are  desired  on  the  porch  or  in  the  windows,  while  the  grape,  trimmed  of  all 
superfluous  brush  in  November,  waves  only  "bare  poles"  (arms  or  canes)  during 
winter,  allowing  sun  and  air  free  access  to  the  dwelling.  We  in  Kansas  little 
know  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  small,  fenced-in  back  yards  of  the  resi- 
dence portion  of  our  great  cities  grow  annually  tons  of  fine  grapes. 

I  remember  in  earliest  boyhood  that  on  our  street  and  among  our  acquaint- 
ances it  was  the  rule  to  have  one  or  more  Isabella  grape-vines  in  the  back  yard. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  17 

These  often  grew  in  the  midst  of  a  flower  border  and  were  trained  with  long 
arms,  often  reaching  above  the  windows  of  the  second  floor;  many  of  the  houses 
having  basements  with  a  front  and  back  sunken  and  paved  area;  the  vines  were 
planted  beyond  the  cap-stones  of  the  back  area  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the 
house ;  an  arbor  or  slatted  trellis  carried  them  straight  upward  for  seven  or  eight 
feet  then  at  an  angle  like  a  house  roof  to  a  point  twenty  feet  above  the  ground, 
ending  above  the  windows  of  the  second  floor.  A  long  arm  was  trained  to  each 
rafter  and  each  arm  had  spurs,  trimmed  to  two  buds,  at  regular  intervals,  and 
each  bud  brought  two  to  four  bunches  of  grapes,  and  the  whole  was  a  thing  of 
beauty,  shade,  and  perfume,  the  hum  of  insects,  and  occasional  twitter  of  a 
wren  or  other  bird,  and  laden  with  unnumbered  bunches  of  elegant  Isabellas. 
Others  have  arched  or  rectangular  arbors  or  summer-houses,  shady  with  grape 
leaves,  a  cool  place  of  rest  for  the  elders  and  an  ideal  play-house  for  the 
children.  Every  farmhouse  could  be  beautiful  and  its  interior  made  more  com- 
fortable if  grape-vines  were  planted  to  clamber  on  trellis  of  wire  or  slats  or  strings 
at  the  porch  or  stoop,  or  a  foot  or  two  away  from  the  broad  side  of  the  house,  or 
on  chicken-wire  trellis  before  the  sunny  windows.  Grape-vine  shade  is  of  the 
coolest,  as  you  will  find  out  if  you  feel  under  the  leaves  even  on  a  hot  afternoon. 
Grape-vines  are  the  cheapest  of  all  plants  excepting  volunteers,  as  you  can  get 
grape  wood  free  when  any  neighbor  is  trimming  his  vines,  and  you  will  find  in- 
structions for  rooting  them  in  this  book. 

By  all  means  shade  the  front  door,  shade  the  back  door,  shade  the  south  and 
west  windows  of  your  prairie  home,  the  milk-house,  the  cave  cellar,  the  cow 
shed,  with  grape  vines.  Put  out  trees,  but  the  vines  will  make  a  cooling  shade 
the  second  year,  while  your  trees  are  yet  thin  of  leaf  and  branch.  Any  rough 
poles,  chicken  wire,  barbed  wire,  smooth  wire  or  even  strings  will  assist  and  lead 
the  vines  to  the  desired  place  and  form.  If  you  have  an  out  cellar  or  cave,  grape- 
vines planted  on  either  side  and  trained  to  clamber  over  the  roof  will  change  the 
inner  temperature  in  hot  weather  several  degrees,  and  in  all  these  cases  the  use- 
ful, cooling  shade  will  be  succeeded  by  luscious,  healthful  fruit.  For  the  above 
uses,  free-growing  varieties  like  Norton's  Virginia,  Clinton,  etc.,  could  be  used  to 
advantage,  although  any  ordinary  kind  will  do. 


BAGGING  GRAPES. 

The  following  correspondents  have  bagged  grapes,  and  all  but  two  or  three 
recommend  it,  some  very  highly : 

Adams,  D.  M.,  Rome,  Sumner  county. 

Allison,  T.  W.,  Florence,  Marion  county. 

Barnes,  J.  T.,  Beloit,  Mitchell  county. 

Baum,  G.  M.,  Washington,  Washington  county. 

Dickinson,  S.  S.,  Lamed,  Pawnee  county. 

Diehl,  E.  P.,  Olathe,  Johnson  county. 

Griesa,  A.  C.,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county.     Does  not  advise  it. 

Moncrief,  R.  J.,  Winfield,  Cowley  county. 

Oberndorf,  A.,  jr.,  Centralia,  Nemaha  county. 

Record,  O.  M.,  Thayer,  Neosho  county. 

Sayles,  J.  H.,  Norcatur,  Decatur  county. 

Spohr,  G.  E.,  Manhattan,  Riley  county. 

Stout,  Stephen,  Axtell,  Marshall  county      Cloth  for  bees. 

Taylor,  C.  H.,  Eskridge,  Wabaunsee  county.     Does  not  indorse  it. 

White,  D.  D.,  Enon,  Barber  county.     Uses  mosquito  net. 

Holsinger  &  Sons,  Rosedale,  Wyandotte  county. 

—2 


18 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


Every  correspondent  mentioned  in  this  work  was  asked  if  he  ever  bagged 
grapes.  Many  seemed  never  to  have  heard  of  it.  Sixteen  have  practiced  it. 
Some  of  these  do  it  to  a  limited  extent  regularly.  Some  have  tried  it,  but  for 
want  of  tact  or  patience,  or  owing  to  press  of  other  duties,  thought  it  did  not  pay. 
Some  say  the  rain  and  wind  destroy  the  paper  bags.  Some  complain  of  birds 
and  grasshoppers  taking  most  of  their  grapes.  Sacking  would  save  most  of 
these  to  the  grower.  The  process  is  easy  ;  girls  or  women  could  do  it,  especially 
as  they  are  handy  with  pins  and  thimble. 


Sack  in  place. 


Sack  tied  or  pinned. 


Small,  strong  manila  paper  sacks,  size  No.  2,  are  best.  They  should  be  put 
on  when  the  grapes  are  the  size  of  bird  shot,  and  should  all  be  on  by  the  time 
they  are  one-third  grown.  Slip  the  bunch  into  the  open  mouth  of  the  sack ;  fold 
an  inch  of  the  upper  end  of  the  sack  over  the  branch  above  where  the  bunch  is 
attached;  close  it  in  such  a  way  that  a  common  pin  (or  two)  can  be  thrust 
through,  taking  a  stitch  and  leaving  the  pin  there.  The  pins  can  be  easily  thrust 
through  with  the  aid  of  a  thimble.  The  bunches  are  thus  protected  from  birds, 
grasshoppers  and  other  insects.  Spider- webs  and  dust  do  not  gather  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  bunch.  Rot  and  fungous  diseases  are  not  so  bad,  and  the  sun  does  not 
burn  them.  The  bloom  stays  on  the  berry,  and  the  bunches  are  always  larger 
and  more  perfect.  Besides,  they  may  be  left  on  the  vines  from  two  to  four  weeks 
longer  in  autumn,  thus  prolonging  the  season.  They  may  then  be  cut,  leaving 
the  bags  on  them,  and  kept  still  longer  in  a  cool  apartment.  This  prolongs  the 
season  and  brings  them  into  a  higher  market,  even  if  only  for  family  use,  thus 
paying  for  all  the  trouble. 


OVERBEARING. 

Some  vines  set  more  fruit  than  they  can  carry  to  perfection.  There  can  be  no 
hard-and-fast  rule.  Thrifty  vines  of  vigorous  varieties  will,  in  Kansas,  set  three 
to  five  clusters  to  each  shoot.  If  there  are  two  shoots  to  each  spur  and  twenty 
spurs  are  left,  there  will  be  between  100  and  120  clusters  of  grapes.  Now  if  the 
soil  is  not  strong,  or  the  grape-vine  is  crowded  by  other  vines,  trees,  or  crops,  it 
is  quite  possible  that  120  clusters  are  far  too  many.  If  you  thin,  snip  off  one 
bunch  from  each  shoot,  which  will  bring  them  down  to  eighty  clusters.  If  the 
vine  is  well  established  and  the  ground  rich,  it  may  mature  all  of  these  and  do  it 
well.  Experience  is  the  best  teacher,  but  leave  too  few  rather  than  too  many. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  19 


SACKING  GRAPES. 
By  FEANK  HOLSINGEB,  Rosedale. 

I  do  wish  you  could  see  the  beautiful  grapes  we  are  luxuriating  on  at  thia 
time.  I  sacked  700  bunches  for  home  use,  being  about  one- third  of  my  plant  at 
my  home. 

Understand,  this  is  in  the  city  limits.  We  have  some  seven  acres  on  the 
farms,  away  from  the  influence  of  the  hateful  sparrow. 

Soon  as  the  grapes^  commenced  coloring  myriads  of  these  pests  hovered  over 
my  grapes,  puncturing  all  that  showed  color.  I  hed  them  cut  and  sold  ere  ripen- 
ing. Those  in  sacks  were  immune  from  their  ravages,  as  also  from  insects. 

This  is  especially  true  of  those  that  were  sacked  early,  when  about  the  size  of 
No.  2  shot.  These  little  bunches  seemed  lost  in  the  two-pound  sacks,  but  they 
swelled  out,  and  are  now  things  of  beauty. 

I  have  opened  sack  after  sack  without  an  immature  or  affected  berry,  save 
perchance  one  that  had  not  fully  ripened. 

*    I  will  stick  to  sacking  as  long  as  I  live.     Would  all  in  our  cities  who  cannot 
get  grapes  would  try  it. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  VARIETIES. 

Agawam  (Rogers's  No.  15).  Bunch  large,  moderately  compact,  and  shoul- 
dered ;  berry  large,  nearly  round,  dark,  dull,  reddish  brown ;  flesh  tender,  little 
pulp,  very  slightly  partaking  of  the  foxy  aroma;  of  good  vinous  flavor.  Season 
medium,  or  soon  after  Concord.  Vine  a  strong  grower  and  great  bearer,  but  the 
fruit  is  easily  affected  by  rot.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Bacchus.  Very  hard  in  wood,  leaf,  and  fruit;  very  productive;  bunch  com- 
pact, about  six  inches  long ;  berry  medium  in  size,  pulp  half  tender ;  juicy  and 
sprightly.  (Hart  Pioneer  Nursery.) 

Barry  (Rogers's  No.  43).  Raised  by  E.  S.  Rogers,  of  Salem,  Mass.  Vine 
vigorous,  productive;  bunch  rather  large,  short,  broad,  compact,  often  shoul- 
dered; berry  large,  roundish,  black;  flesh  tender,  nearly  free  from  pulp,  juicy, 
sweet,  pleasant.  Ripens  about  the  time  of  Concord.  [Self -sterile.]  (Downing.) 

Berkman's.  Bunch  medium,  compact,  very  round,  dark  wine  color;  flesh 
juicy,  vinous,  rich ;  pulp  tender.  A  cross  between  Clinton  and  Delaware.  Very 
good.  Ripens  September.  [Self- fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Brighton.  Bunch  medium  or  rather  large,  shouldered,  moderately  com- 
pact; berries  full,  medium  in  size,  round,  dark  red  or  maroon  when  fully  ripe, 
with  a  purple  bloom;  flesh  tender,  pulp  slight,  quality  very  good.  Vine  a  vigor- 
ous grower,  very  productive,  rather  early,  valuable.  A  cross  of  the  Concord  and 
Diana- Hamburg,  and  one-fourth  exotic.  (Thomas.) 

Brilliant.  Bunch  large,  conical,  shouldered,  compact;  berry  large,  round, 
nearly  black;  flesh  sweet,  juicy,  rich,  vinous;  pulp  tender.  A  cross  of  Delaware 
upon  Findly.  Ripens  a  little  earlier  than  Concord.  [Self- fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Campbell's  Early.  This  new,  extra-early  grape  is  the  strongest-growing 
vine  of  thirty  varieties  in  my  family  collection,  even  ahead  of  Concord  and  Ni- 
agara. Bunches  very  large,  shouldered,  and  compact ;  extra-large  black  berries 
with  purple  bloom.  Good,  but  not  highest  quality.  Season  early,  and  unques- 
tionably the  very  best  early  grape  in  existence.  ( J.  H.  Hale.) 


20  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Catawba.  Bunches  medium  in  size,  shouldered;  berries  large,  deep  cop- 
per red,  becoming  purple  when  fully  ripe;  flesh  slightly  pulpy,  juicy,  sweet, 
aromatic,  rich,  slightly  musky.  Does  not  ripen  well  as  far  north  as  43°  latitude, 
excepting  in  warm  exposures.  Very  productive.  [Self- fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Carman  (Post-oak  Grape  No.  1  X  Triumph).  Growth  at  Denison,  vigor- 
ous; at  College  Station,  medium;  at  Hornsby,  Travis  county  [all  Texas],  vigor- 
ous; at  Experiment,  Ga.,  and  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  strong,  very  prolific;  wood  a 
little  cottony;  foliage  never  mildews;  leaves  medium  to  large,  three-  to  five- 
lobed,  little  cottony  beneath,  dark  green,  margins  prominently  toothed;  clusters 
large  to  very  large,  have  reached  two  pounds  in  rare  instances,  shouldered  or 
branched,  conical,  very  compact;  berries  very  persistent,  medium,  globular, 
black  with  a  thin  bloom,  skin  thin  and  tough,  never  cracking;  pulp  meaty,  firm, 
yet  tender,  when  fully  ripe  of  pure  rich  quality,  much  superior  to  Concord ;  seeds 
one  to  three,  easily  leaving  the  pulp.  At  Denison,  vines  thirteen  years  old  that 
have  borne  ten  heavy  crops  show  no  signs  of  decline,  while  younger  vines  at  Col- 
lege Station  show  decline.  Soil  at  Denison,  sandy  on  red  clay  subsoil;  at  Col- 
lege Station,  dark  gravelly  on  stiff  joint-clay  on  hard-pan  subsoil.  There  are 
hundreds  of  vines  in  bearing  at  Denison  and  four  at  College  Station.  It  has  been 
one  of  the  most  profitable  market  grapes  in  the  Denison  market,  ripening  one  to 
three  weeks  after  Concord  was  gone.  [Self-fertile.]  (Munson.) 

Centennial.  Bunch  and  berry  medium;  light  red,  tender,  rich,  vinous. 
Watertown,  N.  Y.  [Self- fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Chandler.  Originated  with  N.  M.  Chandler,  Ottawa,  Kan.  Himself  and 
A.  Willis  recommend  it.  Mr.  Willis  says:  "The  Chandler  grape  is  a  fruit  of 
much  promise,  but  as  far  as  I  know  has  never  been  offered  to  the  trade."  State- 
ment of  Mr.  Chandler:  "About  twelve  years  ago  I  had  a  Worden  vine  standing 
alone,  about  eight  rods  distant  from  other  varieties.  In  the  spring  I  noticed  a 
grape  seed  had  germinated  near  the  root,  and  I  took  care  of  it.  It  grew  about 
eight  inches  high,  and  stood  unprotected  during  the  next  winter.  The  following 
spring  I  set  it  by  itself ;  the  third  year  from  germination  it  bore  two  clusters.  I 
sacked  them,  and  on  September  25  gathered  them,  and  was  surprised  to  find 
them  perfect,  with  large,  white  berries  of  excellent  quality.  I  presented  them 
at  our  fair,  and  experts  pronounced  them  beautiful,  fine,  and,  in  quality,  excel- 
lent. A  few  years  later  the  Franklin  County  Horticultural  Society  named  it  the 
'Chandler  seedling.'  I  have  had  it  at  the  fair  each  year,  and  am  well  pleased 
with  its  conduct,  The  vine  is  of  fair  growth  and  hardy;  has  never  shown  tender- 
ness from  sun  or  frosts,  needing  no  protection  in  winter.  The  clusters  are  from 
medium  to  large,  compact,  with  berries  above  medium  size,  and  they  mature  early. 
It  is  a  free  bearer;  every  year  it  fruits  alike  for  me."  [Self- fertile.] 

Champion.  Bunches  large  and  compact ;  berry  large,  covered  with  a  rich 
bloom ;  medium  in  quality  ;  vine  a  strong  and  healthy  grower  and  a  good  keeper; 
profitable  for  market  on  account  of  its  earliness.  [Self- fertile.]  (Sedgwick 
Nursery  Company.) 

Clinton.  Bunches  medium  or  small,  not  shouldered,  compact;  berry  nearly 
round,  small,  black;  bloom  thin,  blue;  pulpy,  juicy  with  a  slightly  harsh  flavor. 
Very  hardy  and  rather  early.  Western  New  York.  Requires  thorough  maturity 
to  develop  its  flavor.  A  good  keeper.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Colerain.  A  white  grape  of  vigorous  growth  and  superior  quality ;  bunches 
good;  berry  a  clear  golden  green,  very  juicy,  rich,  and  sweet.  Its  main  defect  for 
general  culture  is  its  very  thin,  tender  skin,  which  is  readily  punctured  by  June- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  21 

bugs  and  other  insects,  which  quickly  make  the  beautiful,  berries  unsightly  and 
unmarketable.  [Self -fertile.]  (Bulletin  No.  92,  Kentucky  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station.) 

Columbian*  Fruit  very  large,  dark  red,  bordering  on  purple ;  plant  a  very 
strong,  robust  grower,  hardy  and  wonderfully  productive.  (Hart  Pioneer 
Nursery.) 

Columbian  Imperial.  Originated  with  J.  S.  McKinley,  Morgan,  Ohio, 
1885.  Recommended  by  the  horticultural  department  of  the  Ohio  Experiment 
Station.  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  labrusca-riparia  hybrid.  Vine  a  vigorous 
grower,  with  numerous  canes;  ten  to  twenty  berries  in  a  cluster;  very  large,  one 
inch  in  diameter;  color  brownish  black;  thin  bloom;  skin  thick  and  tough,  pulp 
firm ;  flavor  fair.  A  good  bearer  and  a  valuable  market  grape. 

Concord.  Bunches  compact,  large,  shouldered  ;  berries  large,  round,  almost 
black,  covered  with  bloom;  skin  very  tender;  flesh  juicy,  buttery,  sweet.  Ripens 
ten  days  before  the  Isabella;  is  healthy,  vigorous,  and  very  productive.  The  ex- 
treme hardiness,  vigor  and  productiveness  of  the  vine,  and  the  large  size  and  fine 
apppearance  of  the  bunches  and  berries,  have  rendered  the  Concord  one  of  the 
most  popular  market  sorts,  although  inferior  to  several  others  in  flavor.  It  suc- 
ceeds well  throughout  the  entire  West.  The  fruit  is  too  tender  for  shipping  long 
distances.  [See  frontispiece.]  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Cottaffe.  Bunch  small,  sometimes  shouldered;  berry  large,  round,  black; 
pulp  tough,  sweet,  somewhat  foxy.  (Thomas.) 

Croton.  'Bunch  medium  in  size,  not  very  compact,  shouldered;  berries  vary- 
ing from  small  to  medium,  light  greenish  yellow;  skin  thin;  flesh  juicy,  sweet, 
with  an  excellent,  pleasant  flavor.  Ripens  early.  A  cross  of  the  Delaware  and 
the  Chasselas.  Liable  to  mildew  in  some  localities.  [Self- fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Cynthiana.  Bunch  moderately  compact,  shouldered  ;  berries  small,  round, 
black.  Resembling  Norton's  Virginia,  but  better.  Southwest.  (Thomas.) 

Delaivare.  Bunches  small,  compact,  generally  shouldered ;  berries  smallish, 
round;  ekin  thin,  light  red,  translucent;  exceedingly  sweet,  aromatic.  Early. 
A  vigorous  grower  under  high  culture;  requires  a  strong,  rich  soil.  An  early  and 
profuse  bearer.  Hardy.  Delaware,  Ohio.  One  of  the  most  excellent  and  popu- 
lar of  all  American  grapes,  especially  at  the  North  and  East.  Often  injured  by 
overbearing.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Diana.  A  seedling  from  the  Catawba,  which  it  resembles,  but  paler,  or  a 
pale,  grayish  red.  Bunches  compact;  berries  round,  almost  without  pulp,  juicy, 
sweet,  rich.  It  ripens  best  on  poor  soil.  Origin,  Milton,  Mass.  [Self- fertile.] 
(Thomas.) 

,    Dracut  Amber.   A  brown  fox,  somewhat  resembling,  but  not  equal  in  flavor 
to,  the  Northern  Muscadine.     [Nearly  self- fertile.]     (Thomas.) 

Duchess.  Bunch  medium,  sometimes  large,  shouldered;  berries  moderate 
in  size,  light  green,  tinged  with  pale  yellow  and  amber ;  tender,  free  from  pulp, 
sweet,  rich,  and  excellent  in  quality.  One- fourth  exotic.  Season  medium.  Ulster 
county,  New  York.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Early  Ohio.  A  new  black  grape.  Its  points  of  merit  are  extreme  earliness, 
hardiness,  productiveness,  and  being  of  better  quality  than  most  early  sorts. 
Berries  large,  firm,  of  spicy,  pleasant  flavor;  hangs  to  the  stem  with  a  persist- 
ency that  makes  its  shipping  qualities  of  the  highest  order.  Ripens  about  three 
weeks  before  the  Concord.  Promises  to  be  valuable  as  an  early  sort,  and  also 
desirable  for  garden  culture.  [Self  fertile.]  (Michigan  Nurseries.) 


22  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Early  Victor.  In  bunch  the  berry  is  rather  below  the  average,  but  ripens 
very  early ;  is  very  pure  in  flavor,  with  very  little  pulp ;  is  exceedingly  sweet, 
sprightly,  and  vinous;  never  cracks,  and  adheres  firmly  to  the  bunch.  [Self- 
fertile.]  (Sedgwick  Nursery  Company.) 

Eaton.  Bunch  large,  shouldered;  berry  large,  round,  black,  blue  bloom; 
juicy,  tender.  Uncertain  ripener  in  some  localities.  Seedling  of  Concord.  [Self- 
sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Eclipse.  Bunch  large,  double  shouldered,  not  very  compact;  berry  very 
large,  tender,  rich,  sweet,  sprightly,  vinous,  and  of  excellent  quality ;  vine  hardy, 
healthy,  very  vigorous  and  productive.  (Sedgwick  Nursery  Company.) 

Eldorado.  Vine  strong,  only  moderately  productive;  bunches  loose  and 
quite  susceptible  to  insect  attacks  and  rot;  berry  of  medium  size,  golden  green; 
pulp  sweet,  tender,  and  of  excellent  quality.  Ripe  last  week  in  August.  [Self- 
sterile.]  (Bulletin  No.  92,  Kentucky  Agricultural  Experiment  Station.) 

Elvira.  Bunch  medium;  berry  medium,  round,  pale  green,  tender,  sweet; 
hangs  well  to  the  vines  and  is  improved  by  slight  frost.  Missouri.  [Self- fertile.] 
( Thomas.) 

Empire  State.  Bunch  rather  large,  shouldered;  berry  medium,  yellowish 
white,  rich,  sweet,  sprightly,  very  good.  Early.  A  cross  of  Hartford  and  Clin- 
ton. Newburg,  N.  Y.  A  promising  new  sort.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Eumelan.  A  chance  seedling,  originated  at  Fishkill,  N.  Y.  Vine  hardy, 
productive,  and  ripens  early;  bunch  of  good  size,  compact,  shouldered;  berry 
medium  size,  nearly  round,  of  a  deep  purple  or  bluish  black  color,  covered  with 
a  light  bloom;  flesh  tender,  melting,  ripening  to  the  center,  sweet,  sprightly, 
vinous.  [Nearly  self-sterile.]  (Downing.) 

Geneva.  A  good  grower  and  fairly  productive.  It  has  beautiful  white  ber- 
ries, of  good  size ;  skin  tender,  very  sweet,  and  one  of  the  best  half-dozen  in 
quality.  Its  chief  fault  upon  our  grounds  is  that,  on  account  of  its  tender  skin 
and  pulp,  it  is  almost  ruined  by  June-bugs,  wasps,  and  bees,  which  swarm  upon 
the  beautiful  fruit.  [Nearly  self-sterile.]  (Bulletin  No.  92,  Kentucky  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station.) 

Green's  Golden.  Bunch  medium,  long  stem,  compact,  regular;  berry 
large,  round,  greenish  white,  very  juicy,  acid;  a  handsome  grape;  poor  shipper. 
[Self -sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Green  Mountain  ( Winchell ).  Bunch  small,  compact,  sometimes  shouldered ; 
berry  medium,  oval,  greenish  white;  thin  bloom;  pulp  tender,  juicy,  very  sweet 
and  rich;  free  from  rot  and  mildew.  The  berries  hang  well  to  the  stem.  An 
excellent  grape,  with  a  future.  (Thomas.) 

Goethe  (Rogers's  No.  1).  Bunch  rather  large,  moderately  compact,  shoul- 
dered :  berry  quite  large,  oval,  yellowish  green,  often  more  or  less  blotched  or 
shaded  dull  red;  flesh  tender,  with  no  pulp,  sweet,  slightly  aromatic,  and,  when 
well  ripened,  of  excellent  quality ;  rather  late,  occasionally  ripening  well  at  the 
North,  better  at  the  South;  vine  vigorous  and  productive.  This  has  more  of 
the  exotic  character  than  any  other  of  Rogers's  hybrids,  and,  therefore,  less  reli- 
able, and  more  subject  to  mildew.  (Thomas.) 

Hartford  Prolific.  Bunches  large,  shouldered,  rather  compact;  berries 
rather  large,  round;  skin  thick,  black,  with  a  bloom;  flesh  sweet,  rather  juicy, 
with  some  toughness  and  acidity  in  its  pulp ;  ripens  one  week  before  the  Con- 
cord. Hardy,  vigorous,  productive.  Valued  for  its  earliness  and  easy  culture. 
[Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  23 

Hayes.  Bunch  medium,  cylindrical,  shouldered;  berry  below  medium  size, 
round,  yellowish  white ;  pulp  rich,  juicy,  vinous.  [Nearly  se*lf-sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Herbert  (Rogers's  No.  44).  Berry  medium,  sweet,  a  little  pulpy;  bunch 
rather  loose;  moderately  productive.  Blooms  early.  Ripens  with  Concord. 
[Self -sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Herbemont  (Warren  Neal).  Bunches  large,  compact,  shouldered;  ber- 
ries small,  round,  dark  blue  or  violet,  with  a  thick,  light  bloom;  skin  thin;  pulp 
none,  with  a  sweet,  rich,  vinous,  aromatic  juice.  Vigorous  grower.  Tender  at 
the  north.  Succeeds  well  as  far  north  as  Cincinnati.  (Thomas.) 

Herman  Jaeger  (Post  Oak  No.  1  X  Herbemont).  Growth  very  strong, 
wood  a  little  downy ;  grows  from  cuttings  fairly  well ;  endures  the  Texas  climate 
well  and  succeeds  well  at  College  Station;  leaves  large,  deeply  three-  to  five- 
lobed,  little  cottony  on  under  side;  bunches  large  to  very  large,  shouldered, 
conical,  very  compact,  peduncle  short;  berries  small  to  medium,  black,  per- 
sistent; skin  thin,  tough,  does  not  crack;  pulp  tender,  very  juicy,  easily  freeing 
the  one  to  three  medium  seeds ;  quality  better  than  Concord.  A  profitable  mar- 
ket grape;  prolific;  ripens  about  a  week  later  than  Concord.  Not  attacked  to 
any  extent  by  mildew,  rot,  or  leaf -folder.  (Munson.) 

Hicks  (Irl  R.  Hicks).  New,  very  hardy  and  healthy,  of  strongest  growth, 
large  in  bunch  and  berry,  wonderfully  productive,  and  of  the  finest 'quality ;  su- 
perior to  all  native  grapes.  Destined  to  be  the  great  Concord  of  the  twentieth 
century.  Propagated  and  described  by  Henry  Wallis,  Wellston,  Mo.  • 

Ideal.  This  fine,  red  grape  is  one  of  Mr.  Burr's  seedlings  of  Delaware,  and 
is  as  large  in  bunch  and  berry  as  Concord,  and  is  better  in  quality  than  Dela- 
ware ;  good  grower,  hardy,  healthy,  and  very  productive ;  rots  and  mildews  in 
some  localities ;  this  is  no  doubt  the  finest  red  grape,  of  large  size,  and  wherever 
it  can  be  successfully  grown  is  very  desirable.  (Sedgwick  Nursery  Company.) 

lona.  Bunches  large,  shouldered,  not  compact;  berries  medium,  round, 
pale  red,  becoming  dark  red  at  maturity;  flesh  tender,  with  little  pulp,  and  with 
a  rich,  slightly  vinous,  excellent  flavor.  Peekskill,  N.  Y.  Fails  in  most  locali- 
ties, and  often  much  injured  by  overbearing.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Ives.  Bunch  medium,  compact,  shouldered;  berry  rather  small,  roundish 
oval,  black,  with  some  pulp ;  of  moderate  quality.  Origin,  Cincinnati.  Season 
medium  or  rather  late.  (Thomas.) 

Janesville.  An  early,  black  grape,  of  moderate  size,  ripening  with  Hart- 
ford; of  rather  poor  quality.  Western.  Valuable  only  in  cold  regions.  [Self- 
fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Jefferson.  Bunch  rather  large,  shouldered,  compact;  berry  full,  medium 
in  size,  roundish  oval,  light  red,  quality  excellent;  vine  healthy  and  vigorous, 
and  very  productive.  Season  medium.  Raised  by  J.  H.  Ricketts,  Newburg,  N.  Y. 
[Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Jessica.  A  small,  early,  white  grape,  a  rather  weak  grower;  cluster  small; 
berry  sweet  and  good.  Of  no  decided  merit.  [Self-fertile.]  (Bulletin  No.  92, 
Kentucky  Agricultural  Experiment  Station.) 

Jeivel.  Seedling  of  Delaware ;  the  earliest  and  best  grape  of  high  quality, 
fully  tested;  bunch  medium,  shouldered,  compact;  berry  medium,  skin  rather 
tough,  slightly  pulpy,  sweet,  rich,  sprightly,  vinous,  of  the  best  quality;  vine  not 
vigorous  until  fully  established ;  free  from  rot  and  mildew ;  will  hang  on  the  vine 
long  after  ripe,  and  ships  well.  [Self -sterile.]  (Thomas.) 


24  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Lady.  Berry  and  bunch  medium,  light  greenish  yellow,  tender,  sweet ;  early ; 
hardy.  Ohio.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Lady  Washington  (Ricketts).  Fruit  yellow,  tinged  with  pink;  bunches 
very  large,  often  weighing  a  pound ;  vine  strong,  very  hardy.  (Sedgwick  Nursery 
Company.) 

Lindley  (Rogers's  No.  9).  Bunch  medium  in  size,  rather  long  and  com- 
pact; berry  medium,  nearly  round,  reddish,  sweet,  slightly  aromatic,  very  good 
when  full  grown.  Rather  early.  Vine  vigorous  and  productive.  [Self -sterile.] 
(Thomas.) 

Logan.  Bunches  medium,  shouldered,  compact;  berries  rather  large,  oval, 
black ;  flesh  juicy,  with  little  pulp,  and  of  a  moderate  flavor.  Vine  a  slender 
grower;  leaves  small,  three-lobed.  Early.  (Thomas.) 

Martha.  Bunches  medium,  rather  loose,  shouldered;  berries  large,  round, 
pale  yellow ;  slightly  pulpy,  sweet,  juicy,  a  little  foxy.  Vine  a  hardy,  healthy 
and  strong  grower.  A  seedling  of  Concord.  (Org.  Sam'l  Miller,  Missouri.) 

Massasoit  (Rogers's  No.  3).  Bunch  medium,  rather  loose;  berry  rather 
large,  roundish,  light  red,  sweet,  good.  Early — a  little  before  Concord.  Vine 
moderately  vigorous.  [Self-sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Me  f  ike.  Very  large,  black;  skin  thin,  juicy,  sweet;  resembles  Eaton. 
(Thomas.) 

Merrimac  (Rogers's  No.  19).  Bunch  medium,  rather  short;  berry  large, 
round,  black;  flesh  tender,  sweet,  of  good  quality.  Quite  early.  [Self -sterile.] 
(Thomas.) 

Mills.  Bunch  large,  long,  shouldered;  berry  large,  round,  black;  thin  skin ; 
flesh  juicy,  rich,  vinous.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Missouri  Reisling  (Reisling).  A  very  hardy  and  healthy  grower; 
bunch  and  berry  medium,  compact,  pale  yellow,  changing  to  amber  when  very 
ripe;  sweet,  juicy,  vinous,  very  tender  pulp;  quality  best  for  table.  (Sedgwick 
Nursery  Company.) 

Moore's  Diamond.  Originated  by  Jacob  Moore,  the  producer  of  the 
Brighton,  and  seems  destined  to  become  very  popular.  Equal  in  size  to  Con- 
cord; color  greenish  white,  with  rich  yellow  tinge  when  fully  ripe;  flesh  tender, 
juicy,  nearly  transparent,  and  very  good;  vine  vigorous,  hardy,  and  productive. 
Ripens  two  weeks  before  Concord.  [Self- fertile.]  (Michigan  Nurseries.) 

Moore's  Early.  Bunch  medium;  berry  large,  black,  good.  Valuable  for 
its  earliness.  Massachusetts.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Moyer.  Vines  small,  weak;  clusters  small,  loose;  berries  small,  round,  red- 
dish; pulp  tender,  juicy,  soft,  quality  poor.  Not  productive.  Season  last  of 
July.  A  grape  of  very  little  value. 

Niagara.  Bunch  rather  large,  slightly  shouldered;  berry  nearly  round, 
pale  green,  becoming  partly  yellow ;  medium  in  quality.  Vine  possessing  great 
vigor  and  productiveness.  A  cross  of  Concord  and  Cassady.  Lockport,  N.  Y. 
[Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Noah.  Bunch  medium,  compact,  shouldered ;  berry  medium,  round,  pale  yel- 
low;  pulp  hard,  sweet,  of  moderate  quality.  Illinois.  [Self -sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Northern  Muscadine.  Bunches  small,  short,  compact;  berries  medium, 
round,  brownish  red;  skin  thick,  with  the  character  and  odor  of  the  brown  fox 
grape.  The  berries  fall  from  the  bunches  as  soon  as  ripe,  which  is  about  one 
week  before  Concord.  New  Lebanon,  Columbia  county,  New  York.  Valuable 
only  for  its  earliness  and  extreme  hardiness.  [Self-sterile.]  (Thomas.) 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  25 

Norton's  Virginia.  Bunches  long,  moderately  compact;  berries  small, 
round;  skin  thin,  dark  purple;  pulpy,  vinous,  somewhat  harsh,  rather  pleasant, 
and  rich.  Shoots  strong1,  hardy.  (Thomas.) 

Osage.  Bunch  large,  shouldered;  berry  large,  round,  black,  blue  bloom; 
flesh  juicy,  sweet,  foxy.  (Thomas.) 

Ozark.  Bunch  large,  compact,  shouldered;  berry  medium,  round,  black, 
blue  bloom.  (Thomas.) 

Paragon.  Bunch  large,  shouldered,  compact,  handsome;  berry  large,  ten- 
der, sweet,  rich,  sprightly,  vinous,  without  pulp;  a  bag  of  delicious  fruit;  hardy, 
healthy,  vigorous,  and  productive;  free  from  rot  or  mildew;  ripe  with  Concord, 
but  hangs  well;  valuable  table  and  market  grape.  [Self-fertile.]  (Sedgwick 
Nursery  Company.) 

Perkins.  Bunch  rather  small,  conical,  shouldered;  berry  round,  amber, 
whitish  bloom.  A  brown  fox  grape,  resembling  Northern  Muscadine,  but  lighter 
colored  and  inferior  in  quality.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Peter  Wylie.    Bunch  small;  berry  small,  red.    Little  value.     (Thomas.) 

Pocklington.  Bunch  medium,  shouldered,  compact;  berry  large,  pale 
greenish  yellow,  pulpy,  with  good  flavor  when  fully  ripe.  Season  rather  late. 
Vine  hardy,  healthy,  productive.  A  showy  and  attractive  grape.  A  seedling  of 
Concord.  Origin,  Sandy  Hill,  N.  Y.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Pouffhkeepsie  .Red.  A  cross  between  Delaware  and  lona,  of  high  quality 
and  very  handsome;  larger  than  Delaware.  [Self -fertile.]  (Hart  Pioneer  Nur- 
series.) 

Prentiss.  Bunch  medium,  sometimes  shouldered,  compact;  berry  medium, 
roundish  oval,  greenish  white,  becoming  tinged  with  pale  yellow,  sweet,  and  very 
good  in  quality.  Slow  grower.  Season  medium.  A  seedling  of  the  Isabella. 
Steuben  county,  New  York.  [Self -fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Rochester.  Of  the  same  type  as  the  Delaware.  A  weak  grower.  [Self- 
sterile.]  (Bulletin  No.  92,  Kentucky  Agricultural  Experiment  Station.) 

Rommel  (Elvira  X  Triumph).  Growth  medium,  shoots  smooth,  short 
jointed,  tapering  rapidly;  requires  short  pruning;  prolific;  endures  the  climate 
[Texas]  better  than  the  Concord;  leaves  medium,  shallow,  three-lobed,  smooth 
above,  a  little  felted  below,  teeth  prominent,  irregular;  attacked  by  mildew  in 
wet,  sultry  weather,  but  less  than  Delaware ;  always  holds  on  until  crop  matures  ^ 
clusters  medium  to  small,  ovate  or  cylindrical,  often  shouldered,  compact,  ped- 
uncle short ;  berries  large,  globular,  persistent,  greenish  white  when  fully  ripe  ^ 
skin  very  thin  and  delicate,  but  rarely  cracks  on  vine ;  too  tender  for  long  ship- 
ment ;  carries  well  50  to  100  miles  in  five-pound  baskets ;  pulp  melting  and  per- 
fectly delicious  when  fully  ripenened,  or  if  weather  is  wet  and  cloudy  at  ripening 
time.  Several  hundred  vines  have  always  been  very  profitable  in  local  market* 
Ripe  just  before  Concord.  Fruit  rarely  attacked  by  rot.  [Self-fertile.]  (Mun- 
son.) 

Salem  (Rogers's  No.  22).  Bunch  large,  short,  rather  compact;  berry  large, 
round,  dark,  full  red,  tender,  nearly  free  from  pulp,  of  a  moderate  but  vary  agree- 
able flavor ;  season  medium ;  vine  vigorous  and  productive.  Succeeds  in  many 
localities,  mildews  in  others.  (Thomas.) 

Schuylkill  Muscadel  (Cape  Grape,  Spring  Hill  Constantia).  Bunches  not 
shouldered,  compact;  berries  medium,  nearly  round,  slightly  oval;  skin  thick, 
black;  pulp  firm,  coarse,  acid  until  fully  ripe;  season  late.  Worthless  in  New 
England  and  New  York;  good  farther  south.  A  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
(Thomas.) 


26  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Taylor's  JSullitt.  Bunches  medium,  loose,  with  many  imperfect  berries ; 
berries  rather  small,  greenish  white,  of  moderate  quality.  A  strong  grower. 
Kentucky.  (Thomas.) 

Telegraph.  Bunch  above  medium,  compact;  berry  rather  large,  round, 
black,  juicy,  with  some  pulp,  of  moderate  quality;  valuable  for  its  earliness 
<  ripening  about  the  same  time  as  Hartford ).  Vine  hardy,  vigorous.  Origin  near 
Philadelphia.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Ulster  Prolific.  Bunch  email;  berry  small,  round,  bright  red,  good;  vine 
weak  grower.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Vergennes.  Cluster  and  berry  full  medium;  light  amber;  quality  good; 
Dearly.  Vermont.  A  good  keeper.  [Nearly  self-sterile.]  (Thomas.) 

Victoria.  This  grape  has  many  synonyms.  The  Victoria  has  long  been 
considered  the  first  of  black  grapes  for  the  vinery,  but  it  will  very  rarely  perfect 
its  fruit  out-of-doors.  Its  very  large  size  and  luscious  flavor  render  it  universally 
esteemed.  Bunches  large  (about  nine  inches  deep),  and  mostly  with  two  shoul- 
ders, making  it  broad  at  the  top.  Berries  very  large,  roundish,  slightly  inclining 
to  oval.  Skin  rather  thick,  deep,  brownish  purple,  becoming  nearly  black  at  full 
maturity ;  flavor  very  sugary  and  rich ;  a  good  and  regular  bearer.  [Self -fertile.] 
(Downing.) 

Wilder  (Rogers's  No.  4).  Raised  by  E.  S.  Rogers,  Salem,  Mass.  Vine  vig- 
orous, very  productive.  This  is  one  of  the  best  of  Rogers's  seedlings ;  adheres 
well.  The  bunch  keeps  well  after  it  is  gathered,  and  is  a  promising  variety  for 
market.  Bunch  large,  compact,  shouldered,  sometimes  double-shouldered; 
berry  large,  round,  black,  slight  bloom;  flesh  tender  nearly  to  the  center,  juicy, 
sweet,  rich,  slightly  aromatic;  ripens  about  the  time  of  Concord.  [Self-sterile.] 
(Downing.) 

Woodruff  Red.  Bunch  large,  shouldered ;  berry  large,  red.  [Self -sterile.] 
(Thomas.) 

Worden.  Resembles  Concord,  but  rather  larger;  superior  in  quality,  and 
ten  days  earlier;  valuable.  [Self-fertile.]  (Thomas.) 

Wyoming  Red.  Medium  early,  vigorous,  and  hardy;  quality  moderate. 
[Self-sterile.]  (Thomas.) 


A  NEW  RED  GRAPE. 

From  Orange  Judd  Farmer. 

Among  the  many  new  grapes  exhibited  at  the  last  fair  of  the  American  Insti- 
tute, in  New  York,  none  has  interested  us  more  than  the  Charlton.  It  is  a  cross 
between  the  Brighton  and  Mills,  raised  by  John  Charlton,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  The 
original  vine  has  fruited  the  last  six  years  and  its  fruit  seems  to  improve  each 
season.  The  berries  are  globular  in  shape,  and  medium  to  large  in  size,  moder- 
ately compact,  and  sometimes  shouldered ;  color  red,  similar  to  Catawba ;  quality 
best,  flesh  tender  and  melting,  juicy,  sweet,  and  vinous,  separating  readily  from 
the  seeds,  of  which  there  are  but  few.  Skin  thin,  but  firm  enough  to  insure  good 
keeping  and  shipping  quality.  Season  early,  showing  color  before  Concord, 
which  is  so  popular  in  Michigan  and  our  Western  states  generally,  but  the  fruit 
is  in  eating  condition  before  it  is  fully  colored.  The  vine  is  a  strong  and  healthy 
one  and  healthy  grower  and  a  prolific  bearer.  The  Charlton  grape  is  not  offered 
for  sale  yet,  and  we  shall  watch  its  development  with  no  little  interest. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  27 


VOTED  LIST. 

At  the  thirtieth  annual  meeting  of  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society,  a 
vote  on  varieties  of  grapes  for  Kansas  was  taken,  as  follows:  Concord,  30;  Wor- 
den,  23;  Moore's  Early,  15 ;  Niagara,  8;  Catawba,  5;  Pocklington  and  Goethe, 
4  each;  Moore's  Diamond,  Delaware,  and  Dracut  Amber,  3  each;  Agawam, 
Telegraph,  Elvira,  and  Champion,  2  each ;  Supreme,  Early  Victor,  Osage,  Para- 
gon, Primate,  Magnate,  White  Beauty,  Cynthiana,  Ozark,  Brighton,  Wyoming 
Red,  Ives,  Lady,  Lady  Washington,  F.  B.  Hayes,  Green  Mountain,  Martha 
Washington,  Salem,  Prentiss,  and  Early  Ohio,  1  each.  This^has  little  signifi- 
cance excepting  on  first  three  to  five  varieties,  but  it  shows  what  was  being  tried 
by  the  members  present. 


PREPARATION  OF  GRAPE  JUICE. 

Each  year,  as  the  grape  season  approaches,  we  are  asked  how  to  put  up  grape 
juice  for  family  use.  Several  readers  have  given  their  methods,  but  it  seems  well 
to  repeat  former  instructions.  In  proceeding,  use  only  clean,  well-ripened 
grapes.  I  prefer  expressing  the  juice  in  an  ordinary  hand  mill  (same  as  making 
«ider),  by  grinding  the  grapes.  The  advantage  is  you  get  the  juice  at  once,  and 
that  which  is  expressed  by  grinding  is  clear  and  retains  so  little  foreign  matter  or 
pomace.  It  may,  by  careful  straining  through  double-thickness  light  flannel,  be 
immediately  bottled,  while  that  obtained  from  pressing  the  skins,  pulp,  seeds, 
etc.,  will  require,  besides  straining,  a  little  time  to  precipitate  a  sediment  result- 
ing from  pressing.  I  sometimes  filter  through  a  few  inches  of  clean,  washed  river 
or  creek  sand.  The  sooner,  however,  it  can  be  bottled  and  corked  the  less  fer- 
mentation and  the  more  of  the  peculiar  grape  aroma  may  be  retained ;  whereas, 
if  the  grapes  are  crushed  in  a  tub  or  barrel,  I  find  it  difficult  or  impossible  to  ex- 
press the  juice  until  fermentation  dissolves  the  pulp,  thereby  losing  much  cf  the 
grape  flavor;  but  the  fermentation  cuts  no  figure  in  the  keeping  qualities,  as  I 
sometimes,  for  variety,  let  some  ferment  to  a  certain  flavor,  when  I  heat  and  seal 
it,  with  the  assurance  that  when  opened,  in  the  months  or  years  following,  the 
same  flavor  will  prevail.  I  use  the  ordinary  wine  and  beer  bottles.  Carefully 
wash  and  drain  them ;  fill  to  within  about  three  inches  of  the  top ;  set  in  ordi- 
nary wash-boiler  on  the  stove;  put  an  inch  of  sand  on  the  bottom,  or  fit  a  thin 
board  over  the  bottom,  to  prevent  the  bottom  of  bottles  overheating,  to  break,  or 
to  give  the  juice  a  cooked  flavor;  fill  the  boiler  with  bottles  as  close  as  they  will 
stand  without  crowding,  and  fill  the  boiler  with  cold  water  to  within  about  four 
inches  of  the  top  of  the  bottles.  Lay  on  the  lid  and  start  the  fire.  Bring  the 
water  slowly  to  a  distinct  simmer,  but  in  no  instance  allow  it  to  come  to  a  boil,  as 
this,  too,  will  cook  the  juice.  Have  your  corks  steaming;  put  them  into  a  one- 
quart  fruit  can  filled  half  full  of  hot  water,  and  lay  on  the  cap;  set  within  the 
boiler  to  heat  and  steam  while  bottles  are  heating. — Green's  Fruit  Grower. 


GRAPES— ORDER  OF  RIPENING. 

In  Bulletin  No.  46,  from  the  Missouri  Experiment  Station,  Prof.  J.  C.  Whitten 
gives  a  list  of  grapes  fruited  in  1898,  arranged  in  the  order  of  ripening. 

In  noting  the  comparative  date  of  ripening  of  the  different  varieties  of 
grapes,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  they  differ  in  this  respect  in  different 


28 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


For  example,  in  dry,  hot  seasons,  Delaware  sometimes  ripens  very  early, 
while  in  wet,  cool  seasons  it  is  much  later.  Again,  it  is  difficult  to  determine 
just  when  some  varieties  may  be  said  to  be  fully  ripe.  Janesville  and  Mary  Ann 
are  among  the  first  to  begin  to  color,  and,  consequently,  are  ripe  in  appearance 
before  they  are  in  quality.  A  very  sweet  grape,  like  Goethe,  is  very  agreeable  to 
the  taste  long  before  it  is  fully  ripe,  while  a  grape  of  poor  quality,  like  Venango, 
does  not  appear  to  be  ripe  until  after  its  true  ripening  period  is  past.  The  fol- 
lowing list  will  give  a  very  approximate  idea  of  the  date  of  ripening: 


Aug.  7, 
9, 
10, 
10, 
10, 
11, 
12, 
12, 
12, 
13, 
13, 
13, 
13, 
13, 
14, 
14, 
15, 
15, 
15, 
16, 
17, 
18, 
19, 
19, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
20, 
21, 
21, 
21, 
22, 
•22, 
22, 
22, 
23, 
23, 
24, 
24, 
24, 
25, 
25, 
25, 
26, 
26, 
26, 
27, 
30, 
30, 
31, 

Sept.  1, 
1, 
1, 
1, 


Early  Ohio. 

Champiqn. 

Green  Mountain. 

Moyer. 

Hartford. 

Jewel. 

Ives. 

Janesville. 

New  Haven. 

Aminia. 

Brighton. 

Early  Victor. 

Moore's  Early. 

Massasoit. 

Northern  Muscadine. 

Whitehall. 

Black  Eagle. 

Mary  Ann. 

Norfolk. 

Perkins. 

Ideal. 

Telegraph. 

Martha. 

North  Carolina. 

Eumelan. 

Faith. 

Potter. 

Cottage. 

Wells. 

Creveling. 

Barry. 

Diamond. 

Amber  Queen. 

Concord. 

Wyoming  Red. 

Rommel. 

Dracut  Amber. 

Hayes. 

August  Giant. 

Herbert. 

Worden. 

Eaton. 

Mason. 

Wilding. 

Beauty. 

Black  Hawk. 

Ulster. 


Montefiore. 

Herbemont. 

Clinton. 

Cambridge. 

Gazelle. 

Gold  Coin. 

Isabella. 


Se 

pt.   1,  Lady. 

1,  Missouri  Reisling. 

1,  Venango. 
1,  Woodruff  Red. 

2,  Carman. 

3,  America. 

3,  Challenge. 

3,  Lindley. 

4,  Duchess. 

4,  Elvira. 

4,  lona. 

4,  Marion. 

4,  Salem. 

5,  Norton. 

5,  Israella. 

5,  Taylor  Bullitt. 

5,  Vergennes. 

5,  Rentz. 

5,  Rochester. 

5,  Requa. 

5,  Wilder. 

5,  Black  Defiance. 

5,  Cynthiana. 

6,  Catawba. 

6,  Peter  Wylie. 

6,  Lady  Washington. 

6,  Black  Pearl. 

6,  Jefferson. 

7,  Agawam. 

7,  Green's  Golden. 

7,  Transparent. 

8,  Goethe. 

8,  Diana. 

8,  Ozark. 

8,  Poughkeepsie  Red. 

8,  Uhland. 

9,  Delaware. 

9,  Conqueror. 
9,  Elvicand. 

10,  Brilliant. 

10,  Berckman's. 

10,  Othello. 

10,  Pearl. 

11,  Bacchus. 

11,  Pocklington. 

11,  Rogers's  No.  2. 

12,  Amber. 

. 

15,  Columbian  Imperial. 

15,  Noah. 

15,  Ironclad. 

15,  Neosho. 

17,  Etta. 

17,  Herman. 

20,  Cunningham. 

THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  29 


EXTRACTS  FROM  A  BULLETIN  ON   GRAPE   CULTURE  ISSUED   BY 
THE  MISSOURI  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

By  PKOF.  J.  C.  WHITTBN. 

For  several  years  a  number  of  varieties  of  grapes  have  been  grown  on  the 
horticultural  grounds.  Others  have  been  planted  from  time  to  time  during  the 
past  ten  years.  In  the  spring  of  1894  a  vineyard  of  130  varieties  was  planted, 
comprising  all  the  more  prominent  varieties  in  the  older  vineyards  and  many  newer 
sorts  then  coming  into  prominence.  This  planting  has  been  enlarged  each  season 
since,  until  it  now  contains  about  150  kinds.  The  present  bulletin  deals  mainly 
with  the  grapes  planted  in  1894,  they  having  just  completed  their  fifth  season's 
growth  and  their  third  or  fourth  season's  fruiting.  This  has  enabled  us  to  com- 
pare vines  of  the  same  age.  The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  results  of  these 
studies : 

1.  The  following  varieties  ripened  in  1898  ahead  of  Moore's  Early:    Early 
Ohio,  Champion,  Green  Mountain,  Moyer,  Hartford,  Jewel,  Ives,  Janesville, 
New  Haven,  Aminia,  and  Brighton. 

2.  Among  the  best  very  early  varieties  for  commercial  planting,  judging  from 
our  own  experience  and  the  experience  of  practical  growers,  are:    Green  Moun- 
tain, Campbell's  Early,  Jewel,  New  Haven,  Aminia,  Brighton,  Moore's  Early, 
and  Norfolk. 

3.  The  grapes  having  the  largest  berry  are :   Columbian  Imperial,  McPike, 
Eaton,  Salem,  and  Moore's  Early. 

4.  The  Ozark  is  the  most  vigorous  and  productive  variety  we  have  tested. 

5.  Among  the  most  promising  comparatively  new  or  little  known  varieties 
are:  America,  Aminia,  Brilliant,  Campbell's  Early,  Green  Mountain,  Hicks,  Mc- 
Pike, New  Haven,  Norfolk,  Ozark,  Rochester,  and  Rommel. 

6.  In  our  opinion,  more  attention  might  profitably  be  given  to  growing  and 
working  up  a  demand  for  fine  table  grapes,  especially  the  earlier  varieties.     The 
demand  for  grapes  of  the  best  quality  increases  as  the  consumers  become  ac- 
quainted with  their  merits  and  acquire  a  taste  for  them. 

7.  It  pays  to  sack  fine  table  grapes  of  most  varieties,  as  it  adds  to  their  ap- 
pearance and  keeping  qualities,  thus  increasing  their  value  and  insuring  ready 
sale  at  good  prices.     Those  that  are  capable  of  self-fertilization  should  be  sacked 
while  in  blossom  or  before;   those  incapable  of  self-fertilization  should  be  sacked 
as  soon  as  the  fruit  has  set. 

8.  Those  varieties  which  have  descended  from  our  native  cestivalis  grape,  or 
from  the  closely  related  post  oak  grape,  are  more  healthy,  vigorous  and  drought 
resisting  and  hold  their  fruit  longer  than  other  classes  of  grapes  in  this  section. 
They  are  also  more  prolific,  if  we  count  simply  the  number  of  berries  set,  regard- 
less of  size.     In  some  varieties  of  this  class  the  berries  attain  very  large  size  with- 
out diminishing  the  number  of  berries  in  the  cluster.     Ozark  is  an  example. 

9.  Varieties  of  the  labrusca  class  have  the  largest  and  handsomest  fruit,  and 
produce  most  in  quantity,  though  not  in  number  of  grapes.     They  sometimes 
suffer  from  the  heat  of  summer. 

10.  The  hybrid  varieties  between  the  American  and  European  grapes  average 
highest  in  quality,  though  they  lack  the  vigor,  health  and  drought-resisting  ca- 
pacity of  our  native  grapes. 

11.  About  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  varieties  tested  are  capable  of  perfect  self- 
fertilization  ;  that  is,  they  will  set  fruit  without  the  aid  of  pollen  from  other  va- 


30  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

rieties.  The  remaining  forty  per  cent,  are  not  fruitful  unless  pollenized  by  other 
sorts,  and  should  be  planted  adjacent  to  strong  pollen-bearing  sorts  that  flower 
at  the  same  time. 

12.  Where  the  above-mentioned  self-sterile  varieties  are  pollenized  by  other 
sorts,  the  variety  furnishing  the  pollen  apparently  has  nothing  to  do  with  de- 
termining the  quality  of  the  fruit  thus  produced. 

About  150  varieties  were  reported  upon  as  to  vigor,  health  of  vine,  color  and 
quality  of  fruit,  date  of  blooming  and  ripening,  etc.  The  time  of  ripening  of  the 
various  sorts  extended  from  August  7,  when  the  Early  Ohio,  a  grape  of  very  poor 
quality,  ripened,  to  September  20,  when  the  Cunningham  was  ready  for  market. 
Champion,  another  poor  grape,  ripened  August  9,  and  Green  Mountain,  a  white 
grape  of  good  quality,  ripened  August  10.  Moore's  Early,  the  standard  early 
market  grape,  ripened  August  13.  The  bulletin,  under  the  head  of  "Varieties 
to  Plant,"  has  comments  on  the  vigor  and  health  of  the  vines  of  the  varieties 
tested,  with  notes  on  the  quality  of  fruit. 

The  varieties  most  largely  grown  for  profit  in  this  state,  by  those  who  depend 
upon  shipping  to  supply  the  ordinary  demand,  are  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and 
Concord.  These  standard  sorts  have  been  found  to  succeed  well  on  the  station 
grounds. 

The  following  ripened  ahead  of  Moore's  Early,  and  are  found  to  succeed  well 
here:  Early  Ohio,  Champion,  Hartford,  Green  Mountain,  Jewel  and  Aminia,  ma- 
turing in  the  order  named. 

The  best  table  grapes,  combining  fine  quality  with  at  least  a  fair  vigor  and 
productiveness,  are :  Green  Mountain,  New  Haven,  Aminia,  Brighton,  Moore's 
Early,  Norfolk,  Massasoit,  Ideal,  Diamond,  Barry,  Rommel,  Woodruff  Red  (finer 
in  appearance  than  in  quality),  Lindley,  Challenge,  Norton,  Rochester,  Jeffer- 
son, Agawam,  Poughkeepsie  Red,  Brilliant  and  Berckman's,  ripening  in  the 
order  named. 

Sacking  grapes  just  after  the  fruit  is  fairly  set,  when  grapes  are  about  as  large 
as  pin  heads,  improves  the  quality  of  some  varieties,  protects  the  fruit  from  rot 
and  insects,  and  makes  the  skin  of  the  berry  more  tender.  Self -fertile  varieties 
may  be  sacked  before  the  bloom  opens,  and  the  Green  Mountain  improved  won- 
derfully in  quality  when  so  treated.  Although  an  early  variety,  where  the  Green 
Mountain  was  sacked  before  the  bloom  opened,  the  fruit  remained  on  clusters 
till  late  in  September. 

Concluding  the  subject  of  varieties,  the  bulletin  says : 

We  have  a  large  number  of  good  varieties  of  American  grapes.  Different 
varieties  are  adapted  to  different  purposes,  as  well  as  to  different  soils,  localities, 
and  conditions.  The  Bushberg  (Mo.)  catalogue  describes  500  varieties,  from 
which  scores  of  kinds  may  be  selected,  any  one  of  which  may  be  better  suited  to 
some  given  purpose  than  is  even  the  cosmopolitan  Concord  or  any  other  grape. 
Every  year  new  varieties  appear.  Very  rapid  strides  are  now  being  made  in  the 
way  of  adapting  these  varieties  to  special  purposes.  The  above  facts  are  well 
known  to  every  grape  grower.  It  is  time  the  public  should  discover  that  there 
are  now  many  American  varieties  about  equal  in  quality  to  the  best  European  or 
California  grapes.  Why  should  Missouri  [or  Kansas]  continue  to  pay  ten  or 
twenty  cents  per  pound  for  California  grapes  when  our  home-grown  product 
sells  for  two  or  three  cents  a  pound?  In  Aminia,  Brighton,  Lindley,  Brilliant, 
Goethe,  and  many  other  sorts,  we  have  varieties  that  are  certainly  as  good  as 
the  California  product,  picked  green  and  shipped  half  way  across  the  continent. 

The  present  rapid  introduction  of  new  varieties  adapted  to  special  purposes 
extends  the  grape  season  over  a  longer  period,  and  adapts  the  grape  to  a  greater 


THE    GRAPE   IN    KANSAS.  31 

number  of  special  purposes.  The  improvement  in  the  quality  of  certain  kinds 
renders  the  grape  a  more  desirable  dessert  fruit.  These  facts  increase  the  possi- 
bilities of  a  much  larger  consumption  of  the  grape  than  now  exists. 

Some  men  make  money  by  growing  superior  varieties  and  labeling  them  "  Con- 
cord." The  name  suits  the  people;  the  improvement  in  quality  suits  them  bet- 
ter. Once  they  buy  such  grapes  they  become  anxious  to  secure  this  brand  of 
"Concords"  even  at  an  advanced  price. 

Why  not  grow  more  of  the  best  grapes ;  label  them  true  to  name ;  educate  the 
consumers  to  an  honest  appreciation  of  the  merits  of  each  variety,  as  well  as  to 
the  special  purpose  for  which  it  is  adapted,  and  thus  increase  the  demand  for  a 
larger  grape  product  ?  There  are  people  in  any  market  who  want  to  buy  good 
grapes,  once  they  become  acquainted  with  them.  Goethe  has  sold  here  for  eight 
cents  per  pound,  to  the  few  people  who  know  its  quality,  when  ordinary  grapes 
were  a  drug  in  the  market  at  two  cents  a  pound. 

A  sloping  location  with  eastern  or  southern  exposure  is  preferred ;  most  grow- 
ers practice  summer  pruning;  all  use  wire  trellis  for  support  of  vines;  rows 
should  run  north  and  south ;  about  8  x  9  or  8  x  10  feet  seems  to  be  the  popular  dis- 
tance; all  give  clean  but  shallow  cultivation,  ceasing  cultivation  in  midsummer 
to  allow  wood  to  ripen ;  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  prevents  rot. 


32  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


REPORTS  FROM    GRAPE  GROWERS. 


L.  PERRENOUD,  Humboldt,  Allen  county:  I  have  about  800  grape-vines,  set 
8x8  feet  when  two  years  old.  Prune  in  February  or  March.  My  trellis  has 
three  wires.  I  mulched  once  a  few  years  ago,  but  it  caused  the  roots  to  run  on 
top  of  the  ground.  Have  tried  Concord,  which  is  the  best,  Elvira,  and  Virginia 
seedling;  have  discarded  Goethe,  Triumph,  and  Prentiss.  Sell  them  in  town 
for  from  two  to  three  cents  a  pound.  I  have  a  good  crop  every  year,  even  when 
my  neighbors  have  a  failure.  I  do  n't  give  them  any  better  culture  than  they  do, 
but  I  prune  severely,  and  always  have  strong,  new  wood. 

L.  D.  BUCK,  Moran,  Allen  county:  I  have  200  grape-vines,  100  planted  on 
bottom  and  100  on  upland.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet.  Prune  in  February 
and  June.  Also  prune  during  summer.  My  trellis  is  hedge  posts  and  two 
wires.  Cultivate  shallow ;  I  think  the  scraper  and  diamond  plow  the  best  tools 
for  this  work.  I  have  mulched,  but  do  not  now.  Have  tried  Concord,  Pock- 
lington,  Martha,  Moore's,  and  Brighton.  Have  discarded  Clinton;  they  are  too 
small  and  sour.  Would  recommend  Concord  and  Pocklington,  as  they  do  best 
here.  Gather  the  fruit  in  baskets  and  market  in  lola,  receiving  from  three  to 
five  cents  per  pound.  They  are  a  paying  crop.  I  would  advise  planting  exten- 
sively if  you  are  near  market.  Have  sacked  the  fruit,  but  it  does  not  pay ;  it 
would  if  you  had  a  market,  but  if  you  have  to  ship  and  sell  through  an  agent,  it 
does  not. 

E.  T.  METCALT,  Colony,  Anderson  county:  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grape-vines, 
planted  on  the  south  slope  of  a  good  knoll,  but  do  not  know  that  slope  makes  any 
difference.  Plant  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February  to  two  or 
three  buds.  Have  a  trellis  made  of  smooth  wire.  Cultivate  with  a  spading  fork, 
which  I  consider  the  best  tool  for  this  work.  I  mulch  sometimes;  think  they 
do  better.  Have  tried  Rogers's  No.  1,  Concord,  Martha,  Niagara,  Pocklington, 
Moore's  Diamond,  and  Agawam.  Have  discarded  none  so  far ;  I  would  recom- 
mend the  Concord,  as  it  does  best  here.  We  consume  all  the  fruit  at  home.  I 
would  not  advise  planting  extensively  here  unless  they  can  be  mulched.  Have 
never  sacked  the  fruit.  My  wife  has  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice,  but  I 
know  nothing  about  it. 

WILLIAM  NEWCOMB,  Welda,  Anderson  county:  I  have  sixty  grape-vines,  set  in 
red  limestone  soil ;  I  prefer  high  land.  Set  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  twelve  feet 
in  the  row;  Prune  closely  during  February,  cutting  back  to  two  eyes  to  the  spur ; 
also  believe  in  summer  pinching.  My  trellis  is  made  of  Osage  orange  posts,  with 
three  galvanized  wires ;  the  top  one  is  four  feet  from  the  ground.  Cultivate  shal- 
low ;  a  five-shovel-cultivator  and  harrow  are  best  for  this  work.  Never  mulch  in 
the  spring,  but  sometimes  during  summer.  Concord  is  the  standard  variety  here. 
Have  tried  and  discarded  Clinton  and  Martha;  they  make  a  wonderful  growth 
year,  after  year,  but  always  commence  to  rot  when  two-thirds  grown,  and  by  fall 
there  is  little  or  no  fruit.  Persistent  spraying  will  save  them  and  make  a  fine 
crop,  but  at  the  prices  we  receive  for  them  in  our  local  market  —  from  three-fourths 
to  one  and  one-half  cents — they  will  not  pay  for  the  labor  and  expense.  The 
Concord  and  Worden  do  best  here.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  33 

bagged  some  of  the  fruit  and  it  was  all  right,  but  will  not  pay  at  the  prevailing 
prices.  Grapes  are  a  paying  crop  for  family  use,  as  you  can  get  them  fresh  from 
the  vines  as  needed,  which  is  better  than  buying  them,  although  "dirt  cheap." 

EBERT  SIMON,  Welda,' Anderson  county:  I  have  200  grape-vines,  planted  on 
level  land;  they  are  Moore's  Early  and  Concord.  Set  them  eight  feet  apart; 
mulch  with  prairie  hay ;  prune  in  March  to  two  buds.  My  trellis  is  of  wire.  I 
do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  don't  have  time.  They  are  a  paying  crop. 

FRANCIS  SCHLETZBAUM,  Eden,  Atchison  county:  -I  have  one  acre  of  grapes, 
planted  on  yellow  clay,  having  a  southeast  slope.  Have  tried  and  discarded  Ca- 
tawba,  Delaware,  Goethe,  Pocklington,  Lady  Washington,  Missouri  Reisling,  and 
Prentis,  on  account  of  mildew,  leaf-blight,  and  rot;  would  recommend  Ives,  Con- 
cord, Norton's  Virginia,  and  Martha.  I  planted  Ives  and  Norton's  Virginia, 
.7x7  feet.  I  prune  in  the  fall  and  at  any  time,  when  not  frozen,  before  March 
15.  My  trellis  is  made  of  three  No.  9  wires,  the  top  one  being  four  and  one-half 
feet  from  the  ground.  Have  summer  pruned,  but  find  it  of  no  advantage  ; 
those  summer  pruned  were  no  better  than  where  not  pruned ;  have  never  bagged 
any;  gather  in  twenty-pound  baskets.  Market  in  Atchison;  realized  last  year 
about  forty  dollars  per  acre.  Some  years  they  are  profitable,  but  they  were  not 
this  year,  as  about  sixty  per  cent,  of  Concord  had  black  rot ;  Ives  was  all  right. 

W.  H.  TUCKER,  Effingham,  Atchison  county:  I  have  eight  varieties  of  grapes, 
planted  on  one  acre  of  level  land  ;  have  discarded  five  varieties  because  they  win- 
ter-kill; would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Worden.  I  prefer  one- 
year-old  vines,  set  8x4  feet;  tilled  with  a  one-horse  Planet  Jr.  cultivator  and  a 
hoe.  Prune  any  time  after  the  leaves  drop  until  April;  summer  prune  but  little. 
I  think  three  wires,  on  posts  fourteen  feet  apart,  the  best  trellis.  Have  never 
tried  bagging  grapes.  Cut  the  bunches  with  a  knife  or  grape  shears,  and  pack 
in  ten-  to  twenty-pound  baskets.  Market  at  or  near  home ;  receiving  from  $50  to 
$150  per  acre;  they  are  profitable.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  with 
sugar,  for  family  'use  only. 

J.  S.  GAYLORD,  Muscotah,  Atchison  county:  We  have  about  100  grapes  in 
the  orchard,  but  they  are  not  properly  cared  for,  and  in  the  way;  will  dig  them 
up  soon.  Expect  to  put  out  about  an  acre  in  proper  shape. 

A.  S.  HUFF,  Enon,  Barber  county:  I  have  one  and  one-half  acres  of  grapes, 
planted  on  sandy  loam,  which  slopes  slightly  to  the  east  (which  I  believe  is  best) ; 
my  varieties  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  California  White,  and  Moore's  Diamond. 
Concord  and  California  White  are  my  choice;  I  would  recommend  Concord  as 
best  for  Kansas.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  eight  by  ten  feet,  cultivated  with 
a  one-horse  stirring  plow ;  prune  in  February,  so  they  will  not  bleed.  My  trellis 
is  made  of  three  No.  9  wires.  I  summer  prune,  so  the  grapes  will  ripen  in 
proper  season.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  and  do  not  advise  it;  it  inclines 
the  sun  to  burn  them  ripe,  but  it  would  keep  the  birds  off,  although  they  are 
not  bad  here.  Cut  my  grapes  with  a  knife  into  half-bushel  baskets,  and  market 
in  Oklahoma,  receiving  two  and  a  half  to  three  cents  per  pound  for  them.  I  con- 
sider them  a  big  paying  crop  here.  We  can  grapes  for  our  home  use.  I  think 
we  realize  from  $275  to  $300  per  acre.  If  I  had  ten  acres  of  grapes  I  could  find 
market  for  them,  and  would  not  want  anything  better  to  make  all  the  money  I 
should  need,  because  they  are  a  sure  crop  every  year;  if  late  frosts  kill  the  young 
grapes  in  bloom,  by  pruning  your  vines  again  they  will  bloom  a  second  time  and 
mature  a  crop. 
-3 


34  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

D.  D.  WHITE,  Enon,  Barber  county  :  Have  200  vines  growing  on  level,  sandy 
loam.  They  are  Concord,  Delaware,  Catawba,  and  several  other  varieties  that 
I  do  not  know  the  names  of;  Concord  is  the  most  prolific.  Plant  two-year  old 
vines,  eight  feet  each  way ;  cultivate  any  way  to  keep  perfectly  clean.  Prune  in 
February  and  March :  also  summer  prune,  so  that  the  strength  that  would  go 
into  the  vine  growth  is  put  into  the  fruit.  My  trellis  is  made  of  wires,  the  top 
one  being  six  feet  from  the  ground.  Have  not  bagged  grapes,  but  have  covered 
them  with  mosquito- netting.  Gather  in  baskets;  sell  at  Sharon  and  Attica. 
They  are  not  a  paying  crop  for  shipping  to  compete  with  California.  Have  put 
up  unfermented  grape  juice,  as  follows:  One  teacup  of  sugar  to  one  quart  of 
juice;  boil,  and  bottle  while  hot. 

JOHN  PIMM,  Enon,  Barber  county :  I  have  one  acre  of  grape-vines,  planted  on 
level  sandy  and  red-clay  soil.  I  have  Brighton,  Concord,  Diamond,  Moore's 
Early,  Niagara,  and  Worden.  Have  tried  and  discarded  Delaware.  Have  not 
tried  any  varieties  experimentally.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  planted  eight 
feet,  in  rows  twelve  feet  apart.  Use  a  two-horse  cultivator;  prune  in  early 
spring;  do  a  little  pruning  in  the  summer,  so  as  to  give  more  strength  to  the 
fruit.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  set  twelve  feet  apart,  having  two  wires.  Have 
never  bagged  grapes,  but  think  it  is  a  good  plan,  as  it  protects  them  from  the 
birds.  Market  the  fruit  at  home.  I  consider  them  a  valuable  crop.  Have  put 
up  unfermented  grape  juice.  I  have  not  had  much  experience  with  grapes, 
but  am  well  satisfied  with  the  fruit,  and  everybody  that  I  know  that  has  given 
them  a  fair  trial  in  Barber  county  finds  them  a  success.  They  will  grow  here  in 
spite  of  drawbacks.  They  grow  wild  in  abundance;  wherever  we  find  native 
timber  we  find  the  grape.  I  am  going  to  increase  my  acreage  each  year,  as  dis- 
eases have  not  bothered  much  yet.  There  is  a  louse  or  flea  that  eats  the  leaves. 
Concord  seems  to  take  the  lead,  followed  by  Brighton,  Niagara,  and  Moore's 
Early.  Two  of  my  neighbors  have  grapes  that  they  do  not  know  the  name  of 
that  beat  all  the  others.  Grape  crop  is  very  good  this  year,  and  is  surer  every 
year  than  any  other  fruit. 

B'.  LEONHART,  Kiowa,  Barber  county :  I  have  200  vines,  planted  on  an  east- 
ern slope.  They  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Niagara ;  would  recommend 
these  varieties  for  low  ground  and  soil  with  plenty  of  moisture. .  Plant  one-year- 
old  vines,  eight  feet  apart,  in  rows  sixteen  feet  apart,  and  give  good  care.  Plow 
once  and  cultivate  as  often  as  needed.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  wire,  run- 
ning north  and  south.  I  prune  in  summer,  because  reaction  of  the  sap  sends  out 
more  laterals  to  shade  the  fruit  and  encourages  fruit  growth,  combats  fungi, 
makes  stronger  root  growth  and  healthier  fruit-buds  for  the  next  year.  Market 
at  home. 

C.  A.  BLACKMORE,  Sharon,  Barber  county:  I  have  about  500  grape-vines 
growing  in  dark  sandy,  light  sandy  and  dark  red  soil ;  set  one-  and  two-year-old 
vines,  seven  feet  apart.  Prune  any  time  during  the  winter  when  not  frozen.  For 
"a  trellis,  I  use  posts  twenty  feet  apart  and  three  wires.  Cultivate  with  a  double- 
shovel,  a  stirring  plow,  and  a  disk  harrow,  which  I  consider  necessary  for  the 
work.  I  mulch  with  three  or  four  inches  of  loose  earth ;  do  not  mulch  with  ma- 
nure as  some  others  do,  as  it  causes  the  roots  to  grow  too  near  the  surface,  and 
then  during  drought  they  die,  or  winter-kill  the  following  winter.  I  rub  the 
sprouts  off  during  the  summer.  Have  tried  Concord,  Rogers's  Late  White,  Niag- 
ara, Worden,  Lady  Washington,  Delaware,  Moore's  Early,  Woodruff  Red,  Dia- 
mond, Hicks,  Early  Ohio,  and  several  other  varieties ;  experimental  varieties  not 
yet  fruited  are :  Missouri  Reisling,  Pocklington,  Colrain,  Alice,  McPike,  Brighton, 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  35 

and  Campbell's  Early.  All  of  the  above  varieties  seem  vef  y  hardy ;  the  Hicks 
seems  very  hardy  and  extremely  easy  to  propagate.  All  have  done  well  so  far.  I 
would  recommend  Early  Ohio,  Woodruff  Red,  Diamond,  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
Niagara  and  a  few  others  for  this  locality.  Gather  the  fruit  with  grape  pickers. 
They  are  a  paying  crop  if  the  right  man  plants  the  right  varieties.  Have  never 
sacked  the  fruit.  I  have  a  forty-acre  orchard,  fenced  in,  and  under  the  fence  I 
have  vines  planted,  which  are  doing  well  and  are  full  of  grapes  at  this  planting; 
they  bore  well  last  year.  As  it  was  necessary  to  fence  the  orchard  in,  I  utilize 
the  fence  in  this  way  as  a  trellis.  Of  course  it  is  necessary  to  keep  the  "fence" 
well  cultivated.  The  Hicks  grape  did  splendidly  with  me  this  year  (1901).  They 
were  large  and  fine,  ripened  all  at  one  time  and  before  the  Concord.  I  have  two 
fine,  extremely  hardy,  wonderfully  productive,  rapid  growing  raisin  grapes. 
They  are,  I  believe,  called  Tokay.  The  first  begins  to  ripen  just  after  Concord 
is  gone,  is  oblong  and  pink  in  color,  remains  long  on  the  vines,  and  keeps  a  long 
time  after  picking.  '  The  other  ripens  a  little  later,  is  round,  and  hangs  on  well. 
I  have  thirty  vines  of  each  now  in  bearing.  The  two  parent  vines  have  been 
well  tested  here  for  ten  years  or  more.  One  of  them  grew  more  than  fifty 
feet  this  year,  and  bore  grapes  fifty  feet  from  the  trunk,  on  a  lightning-rod. 
They  are  just  grand  for  covering  arbors,  porches  or  summer-houses,  and  the  qual- 
ity of  the  fruit  cannot,  in  my  estimation,  be  excelled. 

BEN.  MCCULLAUGH,  Ellinwood,  Barton  county :  I  have  over  200  Concord 
grape-vines,  planted  on  black  sandy  soil  having  an  eastern  aspect.  I  prefer  one- 
year-old  vines,  set  eight  to  ten  feet  apart.  I  cultivate  with  the  plow  and  harrow. 
I  prune  in  March.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  barbed  wire.  I  never  sum- 
mer prune.  I  have  never  bagged  grapes.  I  cut  my  grapes  from  the  vines  with 
a  sharp  knife.  I  have  a  home  market  within  twenty  miles.  Grapes  are  a  paying 
crop  here. 

GEO.  T.  ELLIOTT,  Great  Bend,  Barton  county :  I  have  400  grape-vines,  planted 
on  an  eastern  slope.  They  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Rogers's  No.  22.  I 
prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet,  in  rows  ten  feet  apart.  Cultivate  with  a 
double-shovel  plow.  Prune  in  the  spring.  My  trellis  is  of  wire,  built  five  feet 
high.  Do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  want  the  vines  thick  on  account  of  birds.  I 
have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  but  my  neighbors  have,  and  I  think  it  a  good 
plan.  I  sell  my  crop  among  the  neighbors.  Grapes  would  be  a  paying  crop  if 
the  birds  and  grasshoppers  would  leave  them  alone. 

JACOB  REDIGER,  Great  Bend,  Barton  county  :  I  have  Concord  grapes,  set  on 
sandy  clay  soil  which  slopes  to  the  south.  I  plant  one-year-old  vines,  6x10  feet. 
I  prune  in  February ;  also  prune  a  little  in  summer,  as  I  think  it  makes  the  fruit 
better. 

J.  B.  SAXE,  Fort  Scott,  Bourbon  county:  I  have  half  an  acre  of  grape-vines, 
planted  on  clay  loam  which  is  about  level.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  eight  to  twelve 
feet.  Prune  during  the  spring  by  cutting  back  pretty  well;  do  not  summer 
prune.  My  trellis  is  three  wires  above  the  vines.  Till  with  a  one-horse  culti- 
vator or  plow.  Have  never  mulched,  but  think  it  would  be  beneficial.  Have 
tried  only  Concord,  but  intend  putting  out  some  Campbell's  Early.  Concord  is 
the  only  variety  that  has  done  well  enough  here  to  be  recommended.  Gather 
and  market  in  ten-pound  baskets,  in  Fort  Scott.  Do  not  think  they  pay,  and 
would  not  advise  planting  them  extensively.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit. 

R.  A.  WILLIAMS,  Glendale,  Bourbon  county:  I  have  thirty  grape-vines, 
planted  on  limestone  soil  sloping  to  the  east.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  eight  by  ten- 


36  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

feet.  I  prune  closely  during  the  winter  and  early  spring;  also  prune  during  the 
summer  by  cutting  back  to  within  one  foot  of  the  bunches.  I  use  single  stakes 
for  a  trellis.  Care  for  them  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe;  think  a  double-shovel 
and  five- tooth  cultivator  the  best  tools  for  this  work.  Do  not  mulch.  Have 
tried  Concord,  Ives's  Seedling,  Wilder,  Moore's  Early,  and.Dracut  Amber.  Dis- 
carded Dracut  Amber;  it  is  a  good  bearer  but  poor  flavored.  I  would  recom- 
mend Concord  and  Moore's  Early  for  this  locality,  although  Concord  does  best. 
Gather  my  grapes  as  soon  as  thoroughly  ripe  and  sell  for  from  three  to  five  cents 
per  pound.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop  for  home  use.  Have  never  sacked 
them.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice — canned  it  in  Mason  jars. 

R.  C.  CHASE,  Hiawatha,  Brown  county:  Have  one-fourth  of  an  acre  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  light,  sandy  upland,  sloping  slightly  to  the  east.  My  varieties 
are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  Pocklington,  Niagara,  Empire  State,  Aga- 
wam,  Delaware,  Lindley,  and  Perkins.  Have  discarded  Niagara,  Perkins,  and 
Empire  State,  because  they  are  not  hardy.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Wor- 
den, Moore's  Early,  Pocklington,  Lindley,  Delaware,  and  Agawan.  I  prefer  one- 
year-old  vines,  set  six  feet  apart.  Till  with  cultivator  and  hoe.  Prune  on  warm 
days  in  February ;  cut  the  new  wood  back  to  two  or  three  buds ;  cut  out  all  dead 
or  nearly  dead  wood;  do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  do  not  have  time.  I  use  posts 
and  wire  for  trellises.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  because  I  do  not  think  it 
would  pay.  I  cut  my  grapes  into  baskets  with  shears;  market  at  home. 
Other  fruits  pay  better  here.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  in  small 
quantities. 

B.  F.  OXLEY,  Morrill,  Brown  county:  I  have  been  successful  in  raising 
grapes  by  careful  pruning  and  thorough  cultivation.  I  have  seventy-five  grape- 
vines, planted  in  deep,  level  loam.  The  varieties  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
Elvira,  and  Brighton.  I  would  recommend,  for  trial,  Worden  and  Moore's 
Diamond.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  apart,  in  rows  ten  feet 
apart.  Till  with  a  five-shovel  cultivator  and  hoe.  Prune  the  new  growth  back 
to  two  buds  in  February.  My  trellis  is  of  three  wires  and  posts  eight  feet  apart. 
Prune  some  in  the  summer,  to  shorten  the  long,  new  growth  and  give  sunlight 
where  needed.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  and  would  not  advise  it,  as  I  do 
not  think  the  gain  in  value  would  pay  the  cost  of  bagging.  Our  soil,  for  miles 
along  the  Missouri  river,  is  excellent  for  grapes. 

NEIL  HANSEN,  Willis,  Brown  county:  I  have  200  grape-vines  growing  on 
black  soil  over  a  clay  subsoil  which  slopes  to  the  west.  I  prefer  a  southeast 
slope.  My  varieties  are  Concord  and  Brighton.  I  would  recommend  the  Concord, 
as  it  is  a  good  bearer  and  easily  tended.  I  have  had  good  success  with  it.  I  pre- 
fer two-year-old  vines,  set  six  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  shovel  plow.  Prune  in 
February,  leaving  two  or  three  canes.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  three  No.  9 
wires.  I  do  very  little  summer  pruning,  as  the  sun  affects  the  fruit  too  much. 
I  sometimes  mulch  my  vines,  but  would  not  advise  it,  as  it  draws  mice  and  in- 
sects to  them.  Cut  the  fruit  with  a  knife  or  scissors;  market  at  home,  realiz- 
ing two  cents  per  pound.  They  are  a  paying  crop  when  cared  for. 

J.  J.  JOHNSON,  El  Dorado,  Butler  county :  I  have  100  grape-vines  growing  on  a 
western  slope  of  rock  shale  which  runs  down  to  good  valley  land.  I  like  a  slope  * 
into  a  wide  valley,  as  I  do  not  lose  so  much  fruit  from  frost ;  have  best  results  on 
western  slope ;  the  vineyards  on  eastern  slopes  and  level  land  are  all  dead.  I  set 
s  trong  one-year-old  vines,  seven  and  one-half  feet  north  and  south  and  eight  feet 
east  and  west.  I  prune  during  nice  weather  in  late  winter  or  early  spring ;  cut 
back  all  new  growth  to  three  buds;  never  summer  prune  in  Kansas.  For  a  trel- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  37 

lie,  I  use  hedge  stakes  five  feet  high ;  use  shorter  ones  on  higher  and  poorer  land, 
as  a  low  vine  shades  the  ground  better;  cultivate  as  often  as  a  crust  forms,  as 
many  as  fifteen  times  during  a  season;  besides  I  keep  the  weeds  all  cut  out.  I 
use  a  one-horse  cultivator  and  harrow;  keep  a  perfect  duet  mulch  during  hot 
and  dry  weather;  I  never  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Niagara,  Pock- 
lington,  Elvira,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Merrimac;  have  discarded  all  but  Concord 
and  Worden  as  unprofitable;  Concord,  Elvira  and  Worden  do  best  here;  I  would 
recommend  Concord.  Gather  in  twenty-pound  baskets,  and  sell  mostly  in  the 
vineyard,  receiving  from  one  to  four,  generally  two  and  one-half,  cents  per  pound  ; 
they  are  only  a  fairly  paying  crop ;  the  yield  is  not  heavy  enough,  but  the  quality 
is  always  good.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Our  fruit  is  never  troubled 
by  birds,  insects,  nor  rot,  although  the  vines  are  affected  by  several  insects. 
Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

R.  H.  CHANDLER,  Bazaar,  Chase  county :  I  have  seventy-five  Concord  grape- 
vines, planted  in  a  black  loam  twelve  feet  deep  which  is  level.  I  have  tried 
many  varieties,  but  they  have  mostly  discarded  themselves.  I  prefer  one-year- 
old  vines;  have  tried  older  ones  but  without  success;  set  them  eight  feet  apart; 
do  not  cultivate  after  the  vines  are  three  years  old ;  prune  from  November  to 
February.  My  trellis  is  of  wire,  but  I  would  use  wood  if  in  a  windy  place. 
Summer  pruning  ought  to  be  done  in  some  places.  Have  never  bagged  my 
grapes,  and  have  never  seen  it  done.  I  set  out  only  enough  vines  for  family  use, 
although  we  sell  some  every  year;  receive  from  three  and  one-half  to  four  cents 
per  pound,  while  those  raised  on  upland  can  be  bought  for  one-half  less.  My 
vineyard  is  protected  by  timber ;  also  by  a  barberry  hedge. 

CHAS.  PFLAGER,  Elk,  Chase  county :  I  have  100  grape-vines  growing  on  extra- 
good  bottom  land  which  slopes  to  the  southwest;  am  growing  Concord  and 
some  other  varieties.  I  would  recommend  only  the  Concord.  I  have  experi- 
mentally tested  a  white  grape  and  the  Catawba.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines, 
set  six  feet  apart;  till  with  hoe  and  cultivator;  prune  in  February  and  also 
some  in  summer,  to  improve  the  fruit.  I  cut  the  fruit  from  the  vines  and  market 
at  home.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 

MIKE  GAMER,  Strong,  Chase  county:  I  have  fifty  Concord  grape-vines, 
planted  on  upland  sloping  to  the  south.  I  would  recommend  this  variety,  with 
which  I  have  had  good  success.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  by  eight 
feet,  cultivated  with  a  hoe  and  kept  clean  for  three  years ;  then  mulch.  Prune 
very  little.  I  think  there  is  big  profit  in  grapes. 

F.  STARKEY,  Elmdale,  Chase  county:  I  am  growing  the  Concord  and  a  white 
grape  on  a  southeastern  slope.  I  recommend  Concord.  I  prefer  one-year-old 
vines,  set  six  by  eight  feet ;  till  with  a  plow  and  double-shovel.  Prune  in  March, 
leaving  two  canes.  My  trellis  is  wire.  Do  not  summer  prune,  on  account  of 
hail.  Do  not  bag  the  fruit.  Gather  in  baskets  and  market  in  the  city,  realizing 
fifty  dollars  per  acre,  which  I  consider  good  pay.  I  have  forty-eight  Concord 
grapes  situated  on  what  is  known  as  "plains  marl,"  underlaid  with  a  hard-pan 
about  a  foot  from  the  surf  ace,  having  a  slight  eastern  slope.  Tried  Clinton  several 
years  ago,  but  discarded  it  because  it  was  barren.  I  plant  one-year  old  vines,  in 
rows  three  by  eight  feet.  I  turn  the  ground  up  two  or  three  times  a  season  with 
a  four-tined  fork,  hoe,  and  pull  out  the  weeds.  Use  posts  and  two  wires  for  a 
trellis,  but  do  not  like  it ;  will  make  a  trellis  next  spring  in  the  form  of  a  roof,  of 
narrow  board  and  wire.  Prune  in  February,  by  trimming  to  two  best  vines.  Have 
not  summer  pruned  any,  but  believe  it  a  good  method.  This  is  the  first  year  I 


38  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

have  had  grapes  in  bearing,  and  think  they  are  one  of  the  fruits  that  can  be  grown 
here.  They  have  been  winter-killed  the  past  two  winters;  I  think  they  should 
be  protected  for  a  year  or  two  after  planting.  Have  irrigated  for  two  years  and 
expect  to  do  so  in  the  future,  in  order  to  get  good  results. 

W.  P.  McKEE,  Cedarvale,  Chautauqua  county :  Have  200  grapes  in  all ;  part 
are  planted  on  sloping  limestone,  the  balance  are  in  a  valley.  I  prefer  an  eastern 
slope.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  either  ten  or  eight  by  ten  feet.  Prune  in  Febru- 
ary ;  cut  away  all  of  last  year's  growth  excepting  two  buds.  Use  a  trellis  of  posts 
and  wires.  Till  them  with  a  cultivator  between  the  rows  and  a  hoe  around  the 
vines.  Have  never  tried  mulching.  Have  tried  Concord,  Dracut  Amber,  Wor- 
den,  Pocklington,  Vergennes,  Elvira,  and  Niagara;  have  discarded  Niagara, 
Pocklington,  Worden,  and  Vergennes,  as  they  will  not  stand  dry  weather  on  val- 
ley land.  Those  that  do  best  here  are  Concord,  Dracut  Amber  (if  planted  on  a 
slope),  and  a  white  variety  which  is  extra  tine  and  an  abundant  bearer.  I  con- 
sider grapes  a  paying  crop  and  would  advise  extensive  planting  in  this  locality. 
Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

JEKE  ELLEXSON,  Chautauqua,  Chautauqua  county:  Have  140  vines  growing 
in  sandy  loam  with  clay  subsoil,  sloping  to  the  south.  Have  tested  three  varie- 
ties and  discarded  none :  would  recommend  Moore's  Early  and  Concord.  I  plant 
yearling  vines,  eight  feet  apart ;  cultivate  with  one  horse,  five-tooth  cultivator  and 
hoe.  Prune  in  January  and  February,  not  later  than  the  10th;  use  a  common 
pruning  knife;  have  summer  pruned,  but  it  does  not  pay.  My  trellis  is  a  post 
seven  feet  high  for  each  grape-vine,  with  a  crosspiece  two  and  one-half  feet  long. 
Have  not  sacked  grapes,  but  would  advise  it.  Cut,  sort,  and  pack  in  ten-pound 
baskets;  market  in  Sedan  and  Chautauqua;  receive  one  to  two  cents  per  pound. 

THOMAS  H.  GUEST,  Graf  ton,  Chautauqua  county :  Have  thirty  acres  of  grape- 
vines. A  deep,  black,  sandy  loam  is  the  best  soil ;  a  southeastern  slope  is  best, 
because  they  get  all  the  morning  sun,  which  prevents  black  rot  and  gives  them  a 
better  flavor.  My  varieties  are  Concord  and  Moore's  Early.  Have  discarded 
Moore's  Early,  because  of  black  rot  and  bird's-eye  rot.  Concord  is  a  success 
under  all  conditions.  Plant  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  eight  by  ten  feet.  Till 
with  a  five-toothed  cultivator  and  scraper,  forming  a  dust  mulch,  which  will  in- 
sure against  the  droughts  of  July  and  August,  while  the  fruit  is  ripening.  Prune 
in  February,  cutting  out  one-half  of  new  wood,  and  leaving  three  buds  to  a  cane. 
Summer  prune  with  corn-knife,  to  make  clusters  more  vigorous.  My  trellis  has 
two  No.  12  wires.  Do  not  bag  my  grapes,  as  I  think  the  grapes  more  vigorous 
and  better  flavored  without.  Gather  with  knife  or  clippers  into  eight-pound 
baskets;  market  in  Colorado  and  Oklahoma  territory,  realizing  forty  dollars  per 
acre.  They  pay.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  we  heat  the  juice, 
skim,  and  put  in  self-sealing  cans.  For  black  and  bird's-eye  rot,  spray  with  Bor- 
deaux mixture  once  before  leaves  start,  twice  thereafter,  or  as  of  ten  as  necessary. 
This  mixture  will  surely  prevent  these  two  diseases.  Either  Paris  green  or 
London  purple  will  destroy  all  leaf- eating  insects. 

A.  S.  DENISON,  Columbus,  Cherokee  county:  I  have  about  fifty  vines, 
planted  on  a  gray  loam  with  a  clay  subsoil  and  an  eastern  slope.  I  set  out  one-  or 
two-year-old  vines,  six  by  eight  feet;  prune  in  February,  by  cutting  back;  do 
not  prune  during  summer.  My  trellis  is  eight  feet  high,  having  wires  on  the 
sides  and  top.  Do  not  cultivate ;  I  pull  the  weeds  and  keep  the  grass  cut  short  with 
the  lawn-mower;  mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried  Concord,  Dracut  Amber,  Clinton, 
Delaware,  and  Isabella.  Have  discarded  Clinton,  Delaware,  and  Isabella,  because 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  39 

they  do  not  do  well.  Concord  does  best  here,  and  I  would  recommend  it  for  all 
purposes.  Gather  in  baskets ;  market  at  home,  receiving  one  to  two  cents  per 
pound.  They  do  not  pay  for  market,  but  do  for  family  use,  as  they  are  very 
healthful,  and  a  family  that  knows  how  will  consume  great  quantities  while 
fresh  and  put  up  many  for  future  use.  Would  not  advise  planting  entensively. 
Have  never  bagged  my  grapes.  We  have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice. 
*'  Pick  on  stems  when  fully  ripe;  immediately  press  in  cider-mill;  heat  the  juice 
without  delay  to  boiling-point;  then  can." 

D.  S.  STEBBINS,  Columbus,  Cherokee  county:  I  have  half  an  acre  of  grape- 
vines set  on  sandy  loam.  Planted  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  in 
February  to  one  or  two  buds  on  the  new  growth.  My  trellis  is  made  of  hedge 
posts.  Cultivate  during  the  summer  with  a  small-bar  plow  and  double-shovel, 
which  I  think  best.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Niagara,  and  Moore's 
Early.  I  would  recommend  the  first-named  variety  for  this  locality.  Market 
them  in  the  mining  towns,  receiving  from  two  to  five  cents  per  pound.  They  are 
a  paying  crop  to  a  limited  extent,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting. 
Have  not  sacked  any  fruit. 

A.  R.  MCCALLUM,  St.  Francis,  Cheyenne  county :    I  have  100  grape-vines 
growing  on  bottom  land  only  eight  feet  to  water.     I  prefer  level  land,  but  of 
slopes  I  think  an  eastern  best.     Set  yearling  vines,  eight  feet  apart.     Prune  in 
the  fall,  leaving  spurs  of  two  buds  of  the  past  year's  growth.     For  a  trellis  I  use 
a  low  stake.     Till  with  a  disk  and  spring-tooth  harrow,  which  I  think  are  best. 
I  do  not  mulch,  but  cover  them  with  dirt  in  late  winter.     Have  tried  Concord, 
Worden,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Niagara.     Have  discarded  Moore's  Diamond  and 
Niagara,  as  they  are  too  tender.     I  would  recommend  Worden  and  Concord  for 
this  locality.     They  are  a  paying  crop  for  home  and  not  for  commercial  use,  and 
would  not  advise  planting  extensively.  *  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

B.  F.  CAMPBELL,  St.  Francis,  Cheyenne  county  :    I  have  about  100  grape-vines 
of  all  kinds  growing  on  level,  sandy  soil.     We  are  not  very  successful  on  account 
of  grasshoppers  and  lack  of  care.     I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet 
apart.     My  best  grapes  are  mulched  with  old  hay.     I  prune  in  the  fall.     My 
trellis  is  made  of  wire  and  posts.    I  never  summer  prune,  for  lack  of  time.    Have 
never  bagged  any.     They  are  a  paying  crop  here  when  taken  care  of. 

CHAS.  G.  BOONE,  Ashland,  Clark  county:  I  have  one-quarter  of  an  acre  of 
grape-vines  growing  on  low,  black  land  that  overflows.  I  think  a  northern  slope 
preferable.  Set  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  twelve  feet  apart.  I  use  the  posts 
in  a  wire  fence  for  a  trellis.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  harrow  to  keep  the  soil  loose 
on  the  surface.  Mulch  my  vines  on  dry  land.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  and 
Pocklington.  I  would  recommend  the  first-named  variety  for  this  locality.  I 
market  at  home,  receiving  three  cents  per  pound. 

THEO.  OLSEN,  Green,  Clay  county:  Have  about  200  grape-vines,  planted  on 
deep  black  loam  sloping  to  the  north.  I  plant  three- year-old  vines,  six  feet.  I 
prune  in  February  or  March.  Mulch  with  straw.  Do  not  summer  prune,  be- 
cause the  sun  will  scorch  them.  Use  our  crop  at  home.  I  consider  them  profit- 
able. 

JOHN  REED,  Longford,  Clay  county:  Have  150  grape-vines,  planted  on  south 
slope;  varieties  are  Concord,  Elvira,  and  Moore's  Early.  Recommend  Concord 
and  Elvira — the  latter  for  canning  purposes;  the  vines  are  strong,  healthy,  and 
fruitful,  but  not  as  fruitful  as  Concord.  I  plant  one-year-old  vines,  eight  feet 
each  way;  cultivate  very  shallow  with  plow,  and  use  hoe  close  to  vines;  prune 


40  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

last  of  February ;  would  not  recommend  summer  pruning  in  this  locality.  A 
trellis  with  two  wires,  one  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground  and  the  other  one 
foot  higher,  I  think  best.  Cut  the  grapes  off  the  vines ;  the  home  market  takes 
all  we  have  to  spare.  I  consider  them  profitable  and  the  best  fruit  crop  for  this 
part  of  the  country. 

A.  D.  ARNOLD,  Longford,  Clay  county :  Have  250  grape-vines  growing  on 
sandy  loam  with  clay  subsoil  sloping  south.  Varieties  are  Concord,  Niagara, 
Pocklington,  Agawam,  and  Dracut  Amber;  Niagara  and  Pocklington  died. 
Would  recommend  Concord  for  general  use.  Plant  two-year-old  vines,  ten  feet 
apart.  Till  with  a  one-horse  hoe  and  a  five-tooth  cultivator.  Prune  in  February 
and  March;  do  not  summer  prune.  I  think  posts  and  wire  make  the  best  trellis. 
Have  never  bagged  grapes.  Market  at  neighboring  towns ;  but  the  most  of  the 
crop  is  used  at  home  and  given  to  friends.  I  think  they  pay.  Seventeen  years 
ago  I  set  200  Concord  grapes,  and  have  had  fourteen  crops  from  them;  they 
were  once  burned  by  fire  from  passing  trains,  and  one  year  the  frost  killed  them. 
My  grapes  have  been  the  best  investment  in  fruit  I  have  made  in  central  Kansas, 
the  hot  winds,  terrible  droughts  and  sun  affect  them  least  of  any  fruit. 

I.  N.  MACY,  Longford,  Clay  county:  I  have  about  100  grape-vines,  on  valley 
land;  they  are  Concord  and  Moore's  Early.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  8x8 
feet;  cultivate  with  the  hoe;  then  mulch;  prune  in  winter.  My  trellis  is  made 
of  posts  and  wire.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit,  and  don't  know  whether  it  is 
advisable  or  not.  We  always  have  a  good  home  market,  as  we  raise  only  for 
family  use.  I  think  them  a  paying  crop,  as  the  demand  exceeds  the  supply,  for 
there  are  so  many  who  are  unwilling  to  take  the  care  which  is  necessary  for  suc- 
cess. I  consider  the  Concord  a  sure  cropper ;  nearly  all  others  are  uncertain. 

S.  H.  DOMONY,  Aurora,  Cloud  county:  Have  about  thirty  grape-vines,  set  on 
limestone  soil,  sloping  north ;  they  are  Concord  and  Moore's  Early ;  both  these 
varieties  are  hardy  and  do  well  here ;  plant  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet 
apart;  till  with  a  cultivator,  and  then  mulch  with  coal  ashes  or  cinders;  prune 
with  a  knife.  My  trellis  is  of  hedge  posts  and  wires.  Gather  as  we  need  them ; 
use  all  at  home.  I  think  they  would  be  a  paying  crop  if  planted  more  exten- 
sively, which  I  think  ought  to  be  done,  both  for  family  and  market  purposes. 

H.  A.  DAVIS,  Concordia,  Cloud  county:  I_have  seventy-five  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  black  loam;  they  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Niagara;  they  have 
been  planted  but  two  years,  and  have  not  yet  fruited.  I  prefer  one-year-old 
vines,  planted  four  feet  each  way ;  cultivate  them  with  a  one-horse  cultivator. 

A.  MUNGER,  Hollis,  Cloud  county :  I  have  one  acre  of  grape-vines  growing  on 
sandy  loam.  They  are  Concord,  Elvira,  Clinton,  Niagara,  and  Worden.  Have 
discarded  Moyer  and  Delaware,  as  they  winter-kill.  Would  recommend  Elvira, 
Concord,  Niagara,  Delaware  'if  protected),  and  Clinton,  in  the  order  named.  I 
have,  experimentally,  tried  Moore's  Diamond,  which  winter-killed.  I  prefer  one- 
and  two-year-old  vines,  set  six  feet  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  eight  feet  apart; 
cultivate  with  a  small  shovel  cultivator.  Prune  in  late  winter  or  early  spring. 
My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  wire.  I  prune  some  in  summer,  but  care  must  be  had 
to  allow  sufficient  leaves  to  shade  the  fruit  and  ground.  Have  never  bagged  my 
grapes,  but  have  seen  some  good  results  in  other  places,  and  can  see  no  objection 
except  the  labor  involved.  Cut  the  grapes  from  the  vines  with  scissors.  I  con- 
sider grapes  a  light-paying  crop.  In  my  first  experience,  or  rather  I  mean  my 
lack  of  it,  I  mulched  my  vines;  this  induced  a  growth  of  roots  under  the  mulch- 
ing on  top  of  the  ground.  Cultivation  then  threatened  the  life  of  the  vines, 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  41 

and  the  mulching  had  to  be  continued;  this  mass  of  mulching  made  a  great 
insect  harbor,  and  in  a  few  years  little  brown  borers  killed  the  vines  to  the  ground. 
Have  since  cultivated  with  better  success.  Elvira  stood  winter  and  all  unfavor- 
able conditions  best  of  all;  Clinton  did  very  well.  The  winter  of  1898-'99 
killed  most  of  the  vines  in  this  county  to  the  ground,  yet  some  vineyards  did 
not  seem  in  the  least  injured,  and  produced  a  crop  the  following  year. 

JOHNSON  KELLER,  Arkansas  City,  Cowley  county:  I  am  growing  Concord, 
Worden,  Niagara,  Delaware,  Martha  and  Ives  on  rich,  black,  sandy  loam,  which 
causes  them  to  grow  too  largely  to  vines ;  my  land  slopes  slightly  to  the  east  and 
south.  I  have  discarded  all  excepting  Concord  and  Worden,  because  of  rot. 
Those  two  do  the  best  in  my  soil.  I  spray  every  year,  but  so  far  have  failed  to 
stop  the  rot.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  a 
shovel-plow ;  prune  closely  in  February.  Have  a  wire  trellis.  I  summer  prune, 
and  think  it  makes  the  grapes  larger.  Have  never  bagged  grapes,  and  do  not 
advise  it,  as  I  do  not  think  they  are  as  good  to  eat.  Gather  in  small  baskets  and 
market  at  home.  I  realize  from  thirty  to  fifty  dollars ;  they  do  not  pay  with 
me.  Have  put  up  some  unfermented  [?]  grape  juice;  we  put  the  grapes  in  a 
barrel  and  pound  well,  let  leach,  put  into  a  whisky  keg,  and  cork  tightly ;  keep 
in  a  cool  place.  I  have  watched  grape  culture  in  Kansas  for  twenty  years,  and 
am  fully  convinced  that  a  limestone  soil  is  much  better  for  grapes  than  rich, 
sandy  bottoms.  They  do  well  in  this  county  on  the  poorest  upland  limestone 
soils. 

J.  H.  BILSING,  Udall,  Cowley  county :  I  am  growing  Concord,  Dracut  Amber, 
Delaware,  Niagara,  Empire  State,  etc.,  on  level  black  loam  mixed  with  sand* 
Have  tried  and  discarded  Prentiss,  Clinton,  Goethe,  and  Pocklington.  I  would 
recommend  Delaware,  Concord,  Niagara,  Dracut  Amber,  Empire  State  (this 
latter  variety  rots  and  drops  badly  some  years),  Moore's  Early,  Brighton,  and 
Hartford,  which  is  similar  to  Concord,  but  larger.  Varieties  tested  experiment- 
ally are  Agawam,  Early  Ohio,  Ives,  Worden,  and  a  seedling  of  fine  quality, 
medium  early.  The  three  first  are  just  beginning  to  bear.  I  prefer  vines  one 
year  old,  set  eight  feet  apart;  till  with  hoe  and  cultivator;  prune  in  early  spring. 
At  present,  for  supports,  I  use  stakes  only.  I  consider  them  a  decidedly  paying 
crop  for  the  labor  expended  on  them.  I  have  had  excellent  success  with  grapes 
when  mulched  with  old  hay  or  straw.  They  were  about  as  near  perfection  as  we 
can  get  them  in  this  hot,  dry  climate.  They  were  of  good  size,  color,  and  excel- 
lent quality,  and  hung  on  much  longer  than  those  that  were  not  mulched ;  in 
fact,  I  think  that  is  the  most  successful  way,  barring  irrigation.  But  I  also 
find  that  when  once  mulching  is  applied,  it  should  be  kept  on  and  renewed,  for  if 
once  removed  the  vines  are  at  once  checked  in  growth.  Mulching  seems  to  in- 
duce the  roots  to  come  nearer  the  top  of  the  ground,  and  the  reaction  from  its  re- 
moval is  certainly  injurious,  as  the  fruit  shows  for  itself.  Some  seasons  grapes 
rot  and  fall  badly,  but  I  think  the  birds  cause  a  greater  loss  every  year.  Have 
often  thought  of  bagging,  but,  as  yet,  have  not  tried  it. 

J.  MONCRIEF,  Winfield,  Cowley  county:  I  prefer  a  sandy  loam,  or  upland 
fertilized  with  bone;  an  eastern  slope  is  best  for  the  fruit,  but  they  will  do 
well  on  level  ground.  I  have  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Pock- 
lington, Norton's  Virginia,  Agawam,  Elvira,  Goethe,  lona,  Moore's  Diamond, 
Diana,  Wyoming  Red,  Salem,  Dracut  Amber,  Perkins,  Ives,  Lindley,  Clinton, 
and  Delaware.  I  would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  Concord,  Niagara, 
Moore's  Diamond,  Agawam,  and  Goethe.  I  plant  one-  or  two-year-old,  No.  1 
vines;  weak-growing  varieties  eight  feet  apart;  strong-growing  varieties  eight  to 


42  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

ten  feet  apart.  I  work  the  ground  deeply  until  they  come  in  bearing,  then  cul- 
tivate shallow,  for  dust  mulch.  Prune  by  cutting  back  to  two  buds  in  the  fall, 
any  time  after  the  wood  is  ripe,  and  until  March.  My  trellis  is  a  wire,  or  strips 
of  boards,  running  parallel  with  the  row.  Summer  prune  when  the  season  is 
wet,  as  then  the  growth  becomes  too  rank;  this  saves  strength  for  maturing  the 
fruit.  In  dry  seasons  I  do  not  summer  prune,  but  save  the  foliage  to  keep  the 
fruit  from  burning.  Bagging  grapes  is  a  success,  as  it  keeps  insects  and  bees 
from  the  fruit.  Gather  by  clipping  the  bunches  with  a  sharp  knife  into  a  fruit 
basket.  I  prefer  the  five-pound  basket.  have  tried  and  discarded  Ives,  Per- 
kins, and  Clinton,  quality  no  good,  excepting  for  wine;  Delaware,  quality  fine, 
but  the  vine  is  not  hardy  in  this  locality;  Pocklington,  quality  O.  K.,  but  ripens 
uneven ;  Norton's  Virginia  no  good  excepting  for  wine,  for  which  it  is  very  good. 
Other  varieties  are  good  here,  but  the  list  recommended  do  best. 

J.  A.  WHITESIDE,  Girard,  Crawford  county:  I  have  925  grape-vines  growing 
on  light,  sandy  soil;  a  southern  slope  is  preferable.  Set  first-class  one-year-old 
vines,  eight  by  eight  feet,  with  sweet  potatoes  between.  Prune  the  1st  of  Decem- 
ber and  the  latter  part  of  May.  For  a  trellis  I  am  using  a  catalpa-post  railing, 
but  if  I  wanted  wire  I  should  use  barbed  wire.  For  tillage  I  use  a  five-tooth 
cultivator,  a  double- shovel  plow,  and  a  small  diamond  plow.  Mulch  during  the 
fore  part  of  winter  with  coarse  stable  litter.  During  the  summer  I  cut  the  vines 
back  to  the  second  joint  from  the  fruit;  later  I  cut  back  the  laterals.  Have  tried 
Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Dracut  Amber,  Elvira,  Worden,  Niagara,  Pocklington, 
Salem,  Campbell's  Early,  Early  Victor,  Agawam,  Goethe,  Findley,  and  Clinton. 
Those  which  do  best  here  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Agawam,  and 
Early  Victor.  I  would  recommend  Concord  for  all  purposes.  They  are  a  paying 
crop,  but  there  are  better-paying  fruits.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting 
in  this  locality. 

L.  M.  HOWARD,  Girard,  Crawford  county:  I  have  200  grape-vines,  planted  on 
level  black  and  gray  land.  I  prefer  one-  to  two-year-old  vines,  set  ten  by  ten 
feet  apart.  Cultivate  with  a  plow  and  cultivator.  Prune  in  January  and  Feb- 
ruary. My  trellis  is  made  of  wire.  I  prune  in  summer  to  let  in  the  sun  and  air, 
which  improves  the  size.  Have  tried  bagging  them,  but  would  not  advise  it. 
[  Why  ?  ]  Gather  with  a  knife ;  pack  in  baskets ;  market  at  home.  Realize  forty 
dollars  per  acre.  I  consider  that  they  pay  for  home  use. 

ALFRED  WILSON,  Pittsburg,  Crawford  county :  Have  200  Concord  grape-vines. 
I  would  recommend  Concord  only,  as  it  leads  all  others  in  this  part  of  Kansas. 
I  plant  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Cultivate  with  a  plow,  hoe,  etc. 
Prune  early,  before  the  sap  starts,  leaving  two  buds  on  new  wood ;  do  not  summer 
prune.  I  think  wire  trellis  is  best.  Do  not  bag  any.  Cut  with  pruning  shears ; 
market  at  home.  They  pay. 

J.  H.  SAYLES,  Norcatur,  Decatur  county:  We  planted  Concord,  Moore's  Early 
and  Worden  in  1890,  and  in  1891  and  1892  had  fine  grapes,  but  in  1893  and  1894 
they  all  died  from  drought.  We  must  irrigate,  or  we  cannot  raise  grapes  here ;  I 
have  been  a  fruit  man  forty  years,  and  will  sink  more  wells.  Plant  my  vines 
four  by  eight  feet.  Till  with  a  small  cultivator  and  a  drag.  Prune  back  to  two 
buds  in  November;  I  also  summer  prune,  because  it  increases  the  fruit.  My 
trellis  is  posts  and  wire.  Have  bagged  my  grapes,  and  advise  it  for  family  use, 
as  we  get  cleaner  and  sweeter  fruit.  They  have  not  yet  been  profitable. 

W.  D.  STREET,  Oberlin,  Decatur  county:  Have  fifty  vines,  planted  on  level, 
sandy  bottom  land.  My  variety  is  Concord.  Late  frosts  and  grasshoppers  have 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  43 

ruined  my  prospects  year  after  year.  A  farmer  twelve  rubles  west  of  here  did 
market  very  fine  grapes  in  Oberlin,  but  his  vines  have  since  died.  I  really  believe 
we  will  raise  grapes  here  some  time,  as  wild  grapes  grow  in  abundance. 

P.  T.  JOHNSON,  Oberlin,  Decatur  county  :  I  am  successful  in  growing  one- 
year-old  vines,  but  no  grapes.  I  now  have  twenty-five  Concord  grape-vines, 
planted  on  black  loam  two  feet  deep,  with  a  subsoil  of  magnesia  sixty  feet  deep. 
My  land  is  level  prairie.  Have  tried  and  discarded  Catawba,  because  it  will  not 
grow  more  than  one  year  here.  Have  experimented  with  Worden  and  Moore's 
Early,  both  of  which  died  during  the  winter  of  1898-'99.  I  prefer  two-year-old 
vines,  set  six  feet  apart.  Till  with  a  corn  cultivator. 

JAMES  DUNLAP,  Detroit,  Dickinson  county :  Have  three- fourths  of  an  acre 
of  grape-vines  growing  on  black  loam  sloping  to  the  east.  Would  recommend 
Concord.  Plant  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  eight  feet 
apart.  I  do  not  cultivate,  but  mulch  every  second  year.  I  prune  to  two  buds  in 
latter  part  of  March.  Do  not  prune  during  the  summer,  as  it  would  expose 
the  bunches  to  the  hot  sun.  I  think  a  small  Osage  orange  post  at  each  vine  and 
two  smooth  wires  make  the  best  trellis.  Do  not  bag  any.  It  is  too  expensive. 
Gather  my  grapes  by  cutting  or  pinching  the  bunches  off.  Pack  in  eight-pound 
baskets.  Market  in  neighboring  towns.  They  have  been  profitable  with  me. 

A.  M.  ENGLE,  Moonlight,  Dickinson  county:  Have  about  150  grape-vines 
growing  on  an  eastern  slope.  They  are  mostly  Concord.  Have  tried  and  dis- 
carded Moore's  Early  as  not  profitable.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Worden, 
and  Moore's  Diamond.  Set  the  vines  eight  feet  apart ;  cultivate  as  for  garden 
•crops ;  keep  clean  of  weeds.  Prune  in  October  and  November,  also  in  March  ;  do 
some  summer  pruning,  to  concentrate  the  strength  of  the  vines.  I  consider  them 
profitable.  Our  experience  has  not  been  large  in  special  grape  culture.  Have 
planted  and  had  bearing  vines  for  over  forty  years,  mainly  for  home  use,  sell- 
ing the  surplus  as  best  we  could,  generally  in  towns.  I  think  here  in  central 
Kansas  grape  culture  could  be  made  a  success,  and  a  paying  crop,  with  proper 
aoil  and  location ;  but  more  sure  and  successful  with  irrigation.  I  am  so  con- 
vinced that  irrigation  is  essential  to  success  in  almost  any  line  of  horticulture 
that  I  would  put  much  stress  or  stock  in  an  irrigation  plant,  were  I  to  embark 
in  any  of  these  industries. 

L.  A.  SHOE,  Highland,  Doniphan  county  :  I  have  fifty  grape-vines  growing 
on  black  loam  having  a  clay  subsoil,  sloping  to  the  northeast;  set  two-year-old 
vines,  8x10  feet  apart:  in  pruning,  I  leave  two  buds  to  the  spur  and  three  arms 
to  each  root ;  never  summer  prune ;  my  trellis  consists  of  posts  and  three  wires ; 
cultivate  shallow  with  a  disk  harrow  or  five-tooth  cultivator ;  frequently  mulch 
with  ashes;  have  tried  Concord,  Goethe,  Cottage,  Moore's  Early,  Moore's  Dia- 
mond, Niagara,  Green  Mountain,  Early  Ohio,  Delaware  and  Hartford  Prolific; 
have  discarded  Delaware,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Niagara,  as  they  are  too  tender 
for  this  climate ;  the  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Worden,  Cottage  and 
Pocklington  do  best  here ;  I  would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Niagara, 
and  Worden  ;  they  are  a  paying  crop,  but  I  would  not  advise  planting  extensively ; 
have  sacked  my  grapes,  but  without  good  success,  although,  if  put  on  in  time — 
.just  as  soon  as  the  bloom  falls — they  are  beneficial ;  I  never  put  up  unfermented 
grape  juice,  for  I  am  in  sympathy  with  Major  Holsinger's  temperance  views— it 
might  ferment. 

BERT  MONTGOMERY,  Troy,  Doniphan  county  :  Have  one-half  acre  of  grape- 
vines on  land  sloping  to  the  southwest.  Varieties  tested  are  Concord,  Hartford, 


44  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Ives,  Moore's  Early,  and  Worden.  Have  discarded  Hartford,  Ives,  and  Delaware. 
Recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and  Niagara.  Have  experimented 
with  Goethe  and  Pocklington;  neither  is  a  good  bearer.  I  plant  two  year-old 
vines,  six  feet  apart,  in  rows  eight  feet  apart.  I  till  shallow  with  a  small  plow. 
Prune  in  February  or  March;  never  summer  prune,  because  the  grapes  ripen 
and  mature  better  in  the  shade  of  the  foliage.  I  think  trellises  made  of  posts 
and  wire  are  best.  Do  not  bag  any.  Pick  by  hand  —  do  not  use  a  knife  —  in  eight- 
pound  basket.  Market  in  western  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Realize  about  thirty 
dollars  per  acre.  I  consider  them  a  good,  paying  crop.  One-quarter  of  an  acre 
will  pay  any  family  well  for  home  use.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice ; 
press  the  juice  out  with  a  cider-press  and  then  raise  to  boiling-point  and  can. 
The  market  is  not  as  good  as  it  was  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago ;  still  one  and  one- 
half  cents  per  pound,  with  a  good  yield,  will  pay  better  than  most  other  farming. 
When  I  ship  them  I  usually  get  two  cents  or  more  per  pound. 

A.  H.  GRIESA,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county :  Have  about  one-half  acre  of  grape- 
vines, on  black  prairie  land  which  is  nearly  level ;  they  are  mostly  Concord,  with 
some  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Pocklington,  Niagara,  Delaware,  Wilder,  Goethe, 
Agawam,  Lindley,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Elvira.  A  great  many  should  be  dis- 
carded, such  as  Maxatawney,  Herbemont,  Norton's  Virginia,  Jefferson,  and  Mis- 
souri Reisling;  would  recommend  Woodruff's  Red,  Lutie,  and,  for  late,  the 
Columbian  might  be  tried.  I  .have  experimentally  tried  the  three  latter  varieties 
and  Campbell's  Early,  Hicks,  McPike,  Lucille,  Daisy,  and  St.  Louis;  these  have 
not  all  fruited  yet.  I  plant  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  in  rows  6x7  feet;  culti- 
vate as  near  clean  as  time  will  permit;  prune  in  January  and  February.  I  think 
a  three- wire  trellis,  having  posts  twenty  feet  apart,  is  best.  Summer  prune  a  lit- 
tle, to  stop  too  rank  a  growth.  Have  not  yet  bagged  any ;  it  would  pay  if  the 
price  of  grapes  was  better:  but  it  is  too  expensive  with  the  present  prices.  Cut 
from  the  vines  with  a  knife,  and  pack  in  O.  A.  nine-pound  baskets;  market 
mostly  at  home ;  they  are  not  a  large-paying  crop.  I  have  in  former  years  put  up 
unfermented  grape  juice;  press  out  the  juice,  boil  it,  and  put  up  as  canned. 
Grapes  growing  in  the  valleys  of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  rivers  do  not  pro- 
duce excepting  in  a  limited  way,  on  account  of  the  rot  so  prevalent  most  every 
season;  farther  north,  west  or  south  they  seem  to  rot  less;  here,  only  the  more 
rot-resisting  kinds  should  be  grown.  The  kind  of  land,  slope,  and  culture,  as 
well  as  the  varieties,  are  soon  found  out  by  every  observing  man,  if  he  plants, 
them.  But  for  family  use  in  the  large  region  where  we  live,  and  where  we  ought 
to  have  them  in  our  yards,  is  the  place  to  study  as  to  best  culture,  best  kinds, 
and  other  details,  as  the  few  each  family  must  have  to  supply  one  of  the  choicest 
fruits  for  home  consumption  is  time  and  thought  well  invested,  and  thus  we  find 
varieties  adapted  to  our  place  and  our  taste.  For  general  purposes  the  Concord 
fills  the  place  for  many ;  Moore's  Early  does  well,  as  also  does  Worden ;  Martha, 
for  an  early  white  variety,  is  good.  One  thing  needing  attention  is  to  trellis  them  ;. 
on  a  trellis  they  can  be  spread  to  give  them  needed  air  and  light,  so  essential 
to  good  fruit.  We  need  here  a  later  grape  than  any  we  now  have ;  all  ripen  too 
early,  while  the  temperature  is  high  and  insects  plentiful,  which  soon  ruin  them 
after  they  are  ripe.  Nothing  in  Professor  ^Munson's  list,  that  I  have  tried,  is 
adapted  to  our  state. 

A.  C.  GRIESA,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county:  Any  well-drained  soil  with  any 
slope  will  raise  grapes;  but  the  warm,  sunny  slopes  are  preferable;  the  fruit  is 
not  so  liable  to  rot  when  it  has  plenty  of  light  and  air.  Have  tested  most  of  the 
sorts  in  use  twenty  years  ago,  but  discarded  them  because  they  were  not  profit- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  45 

able.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Ives,  Early  Ohio, 
Hartford,  Delaware,  Brighton,  Martha,  Niagara,  Moore's  Diamond,  Pocklington, 
and  Lutie.  We  have  succeeded  well  with  all  we  have  tried.  Plant  No.  1  year- 
ling vines,  ten  by  twelve  feet.  Till  with  an  ordinary  cultivator.  Prune  after 
hard  freezing  is  over,  say  February  15  to  March  1.  Do  not  generally  summer 
prune ;  if  done  they  throw  out  laterals  and  the  wood  is  often  imperfectly  ripened. 
I  think  a  trellis  of  three  wires  six  feet  high  is  best.  I  bag  my  grapes,  but  do  not 
advise  it;  it  does  not  pay,  except  in  rare  instances.  Cut  the  clusters  from  the 
vines.  I  prefer  nine-pound  baskets;  sell  at  home  market.  I  think  them  a 
moderately  paying  crop.  We  have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice ;  we  heat 
the  juice,  sweeten,  skim,  and  seal  up  in  bottles. 

WILLIAM  PLASKET,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county :  I  planted  one  acre  of  grape- 
vines on  good,  light  upland  soil,  but  they  are  decaying  badly.  I  prefer  an  eastern 
elope.  Set  yearling  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  closely  in  the  fall  or  mild 
winter  weather;  also  prune  in  the  summer,  when  the  vines  become  too  long  and 
numerous,  leaving  two  or  three  canes  for  bearing  the  following  year.  I  use  posts 
and  smooth  wire  for  trellis.  Till  with -a  common  cultivator  and  small  plow, 
which  are  best  for  this  work.  I  do  not  mulch,  but  think  it  would  be  beneficial. 
Have  tried  Concord,  Virginia  Seedling,  Moore's  Early,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Nor- 
ton's Virginia.  Isabella,  Catawba,  Clinton  and  Martha  have  been  unsatis- 
factory, as  they  ripen  late  and  are  of  poor  color.  Those  which  do  best  and 
that  I  would  recommend  for  this  locality  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Nor- 
ton's Virginia.  Gather,  sort  and  pack  my  grapes  in  nine- pound  baskets;  sell 
anywhere  I  can  find  a  market.  They  do  not  pay  and  I  would  not  advise  exten- 
sive planting.  Have  never  sacked  any. 

HARRY  ANGUS,  Lewis,  Edwards  county:  Have  fifty  grape-vines,  planted  on 
black  loam.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  back  to  two-bud 
spurs  in  February ;  also  prune  during  the  summer  on  bottom  land.  I  use  a  wire 
trellis.  Cultivate  with  a  one-horse  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Con- 
cord, a  red,  and  a  white  grape.  The  Concord  does  best,  and  I  would  recommend 
it  for  this  locality.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop  for  home  use,  and  would  ad- 
vise planting  extensively.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

AARON  ZEINER,  Elk  Falls,  Elk  county:  I  have  800  vines,  and  they  are  hang- 
ing full  of  grapes;  they  are  planted  on  a  loose,  rich,  sandy  soil,  which  I  consider 
best,  sloping  to  the  south  just  enough  to  drain  well.  Concord  is  my  best  grape, 
Moore's  Early  comes  second;  they  are  both  strong  and  vigorous  growers.  I  have 
five  varieties  of  white  grapes,  only  one  of  which  is  good.  Plant  two-year-old 
vines,  eight  feet  each  way ;  cultivate  very  shallow  with  a  one-horse  plow ;  prune 
in  February;  do  not  summer  prune,  as  the  sun  would  dry  the  fruit  up.  My 
trellis  is  wire.  Have  not  bagged  my  grapes.  I  could  not  afford  to  spend  so  much 
time  for  the  difference  in  profit,  and  would  not  encourage  it,  as  it  is  too  expen- 
sive. Gather  them  with  shears.  They  are  too  cheap  to  sell.  I  think  they 
would  be  a  paying  crop  if  taken  care  of,  as  they  are  so  sure.  Grapes  must  be  kept 
up  off  the  ground,  and  not  planted  near  timber;  they  must  be  kept  clear  of  grass 
and  weeds,  and  must  be  cultivated  shallow  and  not  close  to  the  vines,  as  this 
would  tear  them  up;  a  hoe  should  be  used  near  the  vines  and  in  the  row. 

S.  D.  LEWIS,  Howard,  Elk  county :  I  have  a  half  acre  of  grapes  on  sandy  soil, 
with  clay  subsoil.  Planted  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune  closely,  to  two 
or  three  buds,  in  February ;  also  prune  to  a  small  extent  during  summer,  to  pre- 
vent too  much  growth  of  vines.  I  have  a  stake  at  each  vine,  with  two  wires. 


46  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Cultivate  very  shallow  with  small  shovels.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord, 
which  I  would  recommend  for  this  locality.  Cut  the  bunches  in  baskets  or 
boxes,  and  sell  in  local  market,  receiving  two  cents  per  pound.  They  pay,  but  I 
would  not  advise  planting  extensively.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes. 

J.  C.  WEATHERS,  Howard,  Elk  county :  I  have  forty  square  rods  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  second  bottom  having  a  clay  subsoil,  which  is  quite  flat  and 
level.  Side-hill  limestone  soil  is  best.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune 
in  February  to  two  or  more  buds,  according  to  vine.  Use  a  trellis  of  seven-and- 
one-half-foot  hedge  posts  and  three  wires.  Cultivate  clean,  with  a  one-horse,  five- 
toothed  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  pruned  some  during  summer,  but  will 
do  so  no  more.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Pocklington,  Dra- 
cut  Amber,  and  Champion ;  discarded  Pocklington  and  Dracut  Amber.  Those 
that  do  best,  and  I  would  recommend  for  this  locality,  are  Worden,  Moore's 
Early,  and  Concord.  Sell  in  local  markets.  They  are  a  paying  crop,  but  I  would 
not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  not  sacked  the  fruit,  but  think  it  would 
pay.  Mulch  heavily  with  barn-yard  manure,  but  think  the  land  should  be  tiled, 
as  often  after  heavy  rains  it  is  much  too  cold.  Have  no  protection  for  the  vines 
from  winds  and  storms.  Think  protection  by  a  heavy  belt  of  timber  on  the  north 
and  west  would  be  beneficial.  Cultivate  with  a  five-toothed  cultivator,  followed 
by  a  hoe  in  the  hands  of  a  careful  person,  making  sure  that  no  weeds  are  left,  and 
continue  until  after  the  crop  is  gathered,  provided  no  more  weeds  appear;  keep 
them  out  by  all  means.'  I  have  fine,  large  grapes  and  plenty  of  them,  while  my 
neighbors  grow  weeds  and  very  poor  grapes  on  the  same  kind  of  land.  Clean 
cultivation  is  better  than  mulching.  I  tried  cutting  back  the  young  vines  dur- 
ing summer,  so  that  I  could  get  closer  to  the  rows  with  my  cultivator,  but  found 
it  was  injurious,  killing  many  of  them  back  to  the  old  vine,  besides  exposing  the 
berries  to  the  hot  sun,  and  many  were  badly  sunburned.  I  place  Worden  first, 
Moore's  Early  second,  Concord  third,  and  Isabella  fourth.  Dracut  Amber  is  a 
fine,  large  grape,  but  sunburns  easily  and  is  not  good  flavored.  The  Pocklington 
is  a  fraud ;  I  have  not  got  anything  from  it  so  far.  I  let  the  berries  get  well 
ripened  before  gathering.  Contract  them  in  our  near-by  towns.  Gather  in 
twenty- five-pound  boxes  and  baskets,  cutting  off  all  spoiled  or  defective  grapes. 
Get  four  cents  per  pound  for  the  Worden  and  Moore's  Early,  and  two  to  two  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound  for  Concord.  Think  them  a  far  better  paying  crop 
than  wheat  or  corn.  The  poultry  have  the  run  of  the  vines,  and  they  pick  up 
any  bug,  grasshopper  or  worm  found  loafing  there,  never  molesting  the  grapes, 
as  they  are  well  fed  on  grain.  Have  never  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice,  but 
have  furnished  hundreds  of  pounds  of  grapes  for  this  purpose,  and  have  tasted  it 
in  the  spring  and  found  it  just  as  sweet  as  though  freshly  made,  and  consider  it 
a  much  better  drink  than  the  so-called  grape  wine ;  and  believe  the  canning  of 
the  sweet  juice  to  be  one  of  the  ways  of  preserving  the  product  of  our  vineyards, 
and  will  no  doubt  increase  the  demand  for  this,  one  of  our  finest  and  choicest 
fruits. 

A.  BOLINGER,  Moline,  Elk  county :  I  have  forty  grape-vines,  planted  on  clay 
soil  having  a  northern  slope,  which  I  consider  best.  Plant  two-year-old  vines, 
eight  feet  apart  each  way.  Prune  short  during  summer  by  taking  off  new 
branches  when  too  long.  My  trellis  is  wire.  Till  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe ; 
mulch  some.  Have  tried  Niagara,  but  it  winter-kills;  I  would  recommend  Con- 
cord, which  does  best  in  this  locality.  Would  not  advise  planting  extensively 
here.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit.  I  do  not  think  it  would  pay,  as  there  is  not 
sufficient  market  for  it. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  47 

JAMES  MC!NTOSH,  Hays,  Ellis  county :  I  have  only  a  few  grape-vines,  but  am 
putting  out  more  on  bottom  land.  I  think  a  north  slope  best,  and  that  the  vines 
need  a  windbreak.  Set  them  eight  feet  apart.  Till  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe. 
I  mulch  my  grapes.  Have  tried  Concord;  am  putting  out  Worden  and  others. 
Grapes  are  a  paying  crop  in  this  county,  and  I  would  advise  extensive  planting, 
with  good  cultivation.  I  have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice — canned  it,  first 
adding  a  little  water. 

GEO.  W.  McCoy,  Wilson,  Ellsworth  county :  I  have  about  half  an  acre  of 
grape-vines  growing  on  bottom  land.  Planted  yearling  vines,  ten  by  twelve  feet. 
Use  a  trellis  of  posts  and  smooth  wire.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  harrow  between 
the  rows,  and  by  hand  between  the  vines.  The  disk  harrow  is  best  for  this  work. 
I  am  going  to  mulch  my  vines  this  year.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Niagara ;  have 
discarded  none,  as  my  vineyard  is  young  yet.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  plant- 
ing here. 

WILLIAM  M.  SYLVESTER,  Garden  City,  Finney  county:  I  have  fifty- three 
grape-vines,  planted  on  clay  soil  having  some  gumbo  in  it.  Set  two-year-old 
vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February ;  cut  off  all  the  small  canes,  leaving 
only  two  main  ones;  also,  cut  off  all  of  the  shoots  which  spring  from  the  roots,  so 
as  to  let  sunlight  to  the  fruit.  Use  a  trellis  of  posts  and  wires.  I  plant  garden- 
truck  among  my  grapes,  and  till  with  a  two-shovel  cultivator ;  any  cultivator 
will  keep  the  soil  fine  and  level.  I  use  fine,  well-rotted  manure  around  my 
grapes.  Have  tried  Concor  would  recommend  this  variety  and  Niagara,  as 
they  give  the  most  satisfaction  in  this  locality.  Use  all  of  our  grapes  at  home. 
I  consider  them  a  paying  crop,  and  would  advise  extensive  planting,  as  we  do  n't 
grow  half  enough  to  supply  the  home  market.  I  have  never  sacked  the  fruit, 
but  other  parties  have  successfully,  when  they  wished  to  keep  some  fine  fruit 
for  the  county  fair;  but  it  does  not  pay. 

NICHOLAS  MAYRATH,  Dodge  City,  Ford  county :  I  have  about  one  half  an  acre 
of  grape-vines  growing  on  sandy  upland  loam.  I  consider  a  north  slope  the  best. 
Set  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet,  but  they  would  do  better  if  farther 
apart.  Prune  closely  during  the  early  spring;  never  summer  prune.  For  a 
trellis  I  use  smooth  wire  stretched  along  the  rows.  Till  them  the  same  as  corn, 
with  a  plow  and  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch,  although  it  would  pay  here.  Have 
tried  Concord,  Ives,  Martha,  Worden,  Clinton,  and  Delaware.  Have  discarded 
Martha  and  Delaware,  as  they  winter-kill  easily.  I  would  recommend  Concord 
and  Ives,  as  they  are  satisfactory  here.  Gather  my  grapes  when  fully  ripe  and 
market  in  Dodge  City,  receiving  from  three  to  ten  cents  per  pound.  They  are  a 
profitable  crop  here,  more  so  than  in  eastern  Kansas.  I  would  advise  extensive 
planting  for  home  market.  Have  sacked  the  fruit  to  a  small  extent.  For  a  few 
years  past  the  grasshoppers  cut  the  grapes  before  fully  ripe:  this  was  only  in 
spots.  I  lost  part  of  my  grapes  by  a  swarm  of  grasshoppers  striking  them  just 
before  ripening  and  cutting  the  stems.  Wild  grapes  grow  all  over  this  county 
along  the  creeks,  draws,  and  streams;  why  not  tame  grapes?  Our  early  grape 
planters  set  them  too  close  together  for  southern  Kansas,  and  the  dry  season 
killed  them  on  account  of  it.  I  tried  several  varieties;  they  grew  fine,  but 
winter-killed. 

R.  D.  PATTERSON,  Ottawa,  Franklin  county :  I  have  one  and  one-half  acres  of 
grape-vines  growing  on  river  bottom.  A  southern  slope  is  preferable.  Set  two- 
year-old  vines,  eight  feet  each  way.  Prune  early,  before  the  sap  runs.  For  a  trel- 
lis I  use  posts  and  two  wires.  Till  with  a  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have 
tried  about  forty  varieties,  but  find  that  Concord  and  Moore's  Early  do  best  here. 


48  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Gather  in  baskets  and  market  at  home,  receiving  one  and  one-half  cents  per 
pound.  I  do  not  think  them  profitable,  and  would  not  advise  extensive  plant- 
ing. Have  bagged  the  fruit,  but  it  does  not  pay  here. 

F.  SURITZ,  Ottawa,  Franklin  county:  I  have  one  acre  of  grape-vines  growing 
on  sandy  loam  ;  think  an  eastern  slope  preferable.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  seven 
feet  apart.  Prune  from  September  [  ?]  to  March,  leaving  five  canes  to  the  vine; 
also  summer  prune  by  pinching  every  week  a  few  inches  above  the  bunches.  For 
a  trellis  I  use  one  or  two  stakes  to  the  vine.  Cultivate  with  a  plow  and  hoe 
in  April;  these  tools  are  the  best  for  such  work.  'Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried 
a  great  many  varieties.  Moore's  Early  and  Norton's  Virginia  are  the  most  suc- 
cessful here.  Gather  my  grapes  when  ripe  and  sell  to  local  dealers,  receiving 
from  two  to  three  cents  per  pound;  but  do  not  think  they  pay.  Have  never 
sacked  the  fruit,  as  I  consider  it  too  great  a  task. 

ISAAC  M.  TAYLOR,  Richmond,  Franklin  county :  I  have  fifteen  vines,  for  fam- 
ily use,  planted  on  light,  sandy  soil  sloping  to  the  southeast.  The  slope  has  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  it;  I  would  prefer  an  eastern.  Set  two-year-old  vines. 
Prune  in  February,  back  to  two  or  three  buds  on  new  wood;  also  summer 
prune  some  years.  Cut  back  to  within  one  or  two  joints  of  the  fruit,  to  save  it 
from  mildew.  My  trellis  is  posts  one  rod  apart  and  two  No.  12  wires.  Do  not 
mulch.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Dracut  Amber;  discarded  the  latter  because 
of  poor  flavor.  I  would  recommend  Concord,  as  it  does  best  in  this  locality.  I 
sell  in  home  market,  receiving  from  two  to  three  cents  per  pound.  Have  sacked 
my  grapes  to  protect  them  from  the  chickens.  It  was  a  partial  success.  Several 
persons  here  are  intending  to  do  it  to  protect  from  bees. 

DAVID  BROWN,  Richmond,  Franklin  county:  I  have  a  half  acre  of  Concord 
grapes  growing  on  red  soil  having  a  southern  aspect;  set  eight  feet  apart.  Cul- 
tivate with  a  cultivator.  Prune  in  February.  My  trellis  is  of  hedge  posts  and 
wire.  I  do  not  summer  prune;  it  doesn't  pay.  I  have  never  bagged  my  grapes, 
and  would  not  advise  it,  as  it  is  npt  necessary.  They  are  a  paying  crop. 

WILLIAM  CUTTER,  Junction  City,  Geary  county:  I  have  one  and  one-half 
acres  of  grape-vines  growing  on  land  which  is  too  sandy  and  has  no  clay  subsoil. 
I  think  slope  makes  a  difference,  and  would  prefer  a  north  or  northwestern.  Set 
No.  1  yearling  vines,  five  by  eight  feet.  Prune  to  three  eyes  or  renew  when  possi- 
ble; I  do  not  summer  prune  enough.  For  a  trellis  I  use  posts  and  three  wires. 
Till  with  a  plow,  cultivator,  and  hoe,  which  I  consider  best  for  the  work ;  do  not 
mulch.  Have  tried  Admirable,  Agawam,  Aminia,  Bacchus,  Beauty,  Bell, 
Berckman,  Brayler,  Brighton,  Brilliant,  Campbell  (G.  W.),  Campbell's  Early, 
Carman,  Catawba,  Centennial,  Champion,  Colrain,  Concord,  Delaware,  Dinkel, 
Dracut  Amber,  Early  Daisy,  Early  Concord,  Etta,  Elvira,  Esther,  Eumelan, 
Early  Victor,  Empire  State,  Green's  Golden,  Green  Mountain,  Goethe,  Geneva, 
Golden  Drop,  Gold  Coin,  Hayes,  Herbemont,  Herman  Guiger,  Hilgard,  Ives's 
Seedling,  Jessica,  Jewel,  Jefferson,  Keystone,  Lutie,  Lady  Washington,  Leader, 
Montifiero,  Moyer,  Moore's  Early,  Martha,  Moore's  Diamond,  Munson's  88, 
Munson's  82,  Mills,  Merrimac,  Mason's  Seedling,  Niagara,  Nectar,  Norton's 
Virginia,  New  Haven,  Pocklington,  Prentiss,  Poughkeepsie  Red,  Prest  Early, 
Peter  Wylie,  Perkins,  Rockwood,  Rommel,  Red  Eagle,  Triumph,  Telegraph, 
Ulster  Prolific,  Vergennes,  Victoria,  Worden,  Wyoming  Red,  Woodruff  Red. 
I  have  also  tried  many  seedlings;  one  which  is  larger  and  sweeter  than  any 
other  I  have  ever  seen  is  now  being  tested  in  several  states.  I  have  discarded 
nearly  all  on  account  of  feeble  growth,  inferior  size,  and  because  most  of  them 
ripen  at  the  same  time  as  the  Concord;  there  is  not  difference  enough  in  price 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  49 

to  justify  us  in  growing  the  many  good  varieties  that  require  protection  and 
other  special  treatment.  I  would  recommend  three-fourths  Concord,  Worden, 
Moore's  Diamond,  Woodruff  Red,  Catawba,  a  few  Green  Mountain  and  Dela- 
ware. Gather  and  market  in  eight-  and  ten-pound  baskets;  usually  sell  at  home, 
receiving  from  one  and  one  half  to  three  cents  per  pound.  They  do  not  pay  me, 
but  I  would  advise  extensive  planting,  on  a  proper  site  having  a  clay  subsoil.  I 
have  sacked  the  fruit  to  a  limited  extent ;  it  is  the  only  way  to  be  sure  of  having 
a  perfect  bunch  of  grapes,  as  the  birds  and  insects  are  so  bad.  We  put  up  un- 
fermehted  grape  juice;  boil  it  and  bottle  while  hot;  I  guess  it  was  good,  for  it 
was  all  drank  while  I  was  absent. 

JESSE  ROYER,  Gove,  Gove  county:  I  have  250  grape-vines  growing  on  upland; 
a  southeastern  slope  is  preferable.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune 
in  February,  with  a  knife  or  shears.  I  do  not  trellis  my  grapes,  as  the  wind  is  too 
strong  for  them.  Till  with  a  cultivator,  which  is  the  best  tool  for  the  work.  I 
mulch  my  vines.  I  have  tried  only  Concord,  which  I  find  best  for  this  locality. 
We  consume  all  of  our  grapes  at  home.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop,  and 
would  advise  extensive  planting  here.  Have  not  sacked  the  fruit. 

J.  E.  SPRINGER,  Gove,  Gove  county :  I  have  fourteen  grape-vines  growing  in 
black  loam.  I  think  the  slope  makes  a  great  difference,  and  would  prefer  a 
northern  or  eastern.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February 
and  March.  Cutoff  the  "foxes"  in  summer.  Have  tried  Pocklington,  Worden, 
Martha,  and  Concord ;  have  discarded  Pocklington  and  Martha,  as  they  are  too 
tender  and  winter-kill.  For  this  locality  I  recommend  Concord,  Worden,  and 
Moore's  Early.  I  do  not  consider  them  profitable,  and  would  not  advise  exten- 
sive planting.  I  have  sacked  the  fruit,  and  find  it  pays.  My  experience  with 
grapes  in  this  country  is  limited. 

JOHN  E.  SODERSTROM,  Gove,  Gove  county :  I  have  200  grape-vines,  planted 
on  poor,  light  bottom  land.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  8  x  10  feet.  Prune  in  the 
spring;  have  also  summer  pruned,  but  it  is  not  satisfactory.  For  a  trellis,  I  use 
posts  and  wire;  I  shall  use  the  canopy  style  recommended  by  Munson,  of  Texas, 
only  that  I  am  not  going  to  build  it  so  high.  Till  vines  with  a  five- tooth  culti- 
vator. Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  and  Diamond,  and  I  would 
recommend  them  for  this  locality.  I*  have  discarded  none.  Concord  does  best 
here.  They  are  profitable  on  good  soil,  and  I  would  advise  extensive  planting,  if 
you  have  such  soil.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  All  upland  (here)  is  good  soil 
for  grapes,  but  the  bottom  lands  along  the  Smoky  river  and  Plum  creek — on 
which  I  am  located — is  not  good,  as  it  gets  too  compact.  There  are  some  very 
profitable  vineyards  here  and  they  promise  to  be  a  great  success  in  this  locality. 

F.  D.  TURCK,  Hill  City,  Graham  county:  I  have  a  few  grape-vines,  planted 
on  bottom  land.  A  northern  slope  is  best,  unless  on  bottom  land,  which  ought 
to  be  level.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  8 x  16 J  feet.  Prune  during  winter;  also,  in 
summer,  around  the  base  of  vines.  My  trellis  is  posts  and  three  wires.  Have 
used  barn-yard  litter  between  the  rows.  Have  tried  Concord  and  other  varie- 
ties. I  would  recommend  Concord  for  this  locality,  as  it  seems  to  be  the  hardi- 
est. They  bring  a  good  price  here,  but  I  have  never  had  any  for  market.  I 
would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  but  am  go- 
ing to  this  year.  The  grasshoppers  are  our  worst  enemy  here,  as  they  cut  the 
stems  and  the  grapes  drop  off. 


50  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

MRS.  I.  M.  VAN  DORAN,  Leland,  Graham  county:  I  have  fourteen  grape- 
vines; set,  at  one  year  of  age,  eight  feet  apart.  I  mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried 
only  Concord;  just  lately  set  out,  so  cannot  give  experience. 

J.  P.  EMERY,  Cimarron,  Gray  county:  I  have  100  grape-vines,  planted  on 
black  loam.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February  to  two 
buds  on  the  previous  year's  growth.  Do  not  summer  prune.  Tie  my  vines  up 
to  small  cedar  posts.  Till  with  a  nine-hoe  cultivator;  I  prefer  a  small  culti- 
vator. I  do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  the  Concord  and  Delaware ;  both  are  good 
bearers.  I  would  recommend  these  varieties  for  this  locality.  Use  all  the  fruit 
at  home.  They  are  a  paying  crop,  and  I  would  advise  extensive  planting. 
Have  never  bagged  the  fruit.  My  grapes  began  bearing  the  first  year  after  set- 
ting, and  have  borne  well  for  the  past  four  years. 

D.  M.  TRUEBLOOD,  Tribune,  Greeley  county :  I  have  just  finished  setting  out 
a  few  grape-vines  —  my  first  planting — and  I  believe  they  will  do  all  right  here  if 
irrigated  and  properly  cared  for.  There  are  a  few  growing  about  town  in  bush 
form,  not  trellised;  they  bear  some. 

J.  M.  HINSHAW,  Eureka,  Greenwood  county:  I  have  one  acre  of  grape-vines 
growing  on  upland.  Set  yearling  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune  in  the  spring  by  cut- 
ting back,  leaving  three  buds  of  last  year's  growth.  My  trellis  is  three  wires  on 
posts.  Till  them  shallow  and  often,  with  a  one-horse  cultivator ;  do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Ives,  Dracut  Amber,  Pocklington,  Goethe,  Moore's 
Early,  Elvira,  Catawba,  Lutie,  Salem,  Agawam,  Perkins,  and  Wyoming  Red; 
have  discarded  none.  I  would  recommend  Concord,  Worden,  Ives,  Dracut 
Amber,  Lutie,  Pocklington,  and  Goethe,  which  do  best  here.  Gather  in  market 
baskets  and  sell  at  home.  They  are  not  very  profitable,  and  I  would  not  advise 
extensive  planting  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

G.  M.  MUNGER,  Eureka,  Greenwood  county:  I  have  500  grape-vines,  planted 
on  upland  prairie  sloping  to  the  east.  My  varieties  are:  Concord,  Moore's 
Early,  Pocklington,  and  others.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
and  Martha.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  each  way.  I  cultivate 
like  corn.  Prune  in  late  winter  and  early  summer.  My  trellis  is  of  wire.  I  do 
not  bag  my  grapes.  Turkeys,  blackbirds  and  neighbors'  dogs  help  gather  our 
grapes  for  us.  We  have  a  few  left.  They  are  a  paying  crop. 

GEO.  W.  REITER,  Fall  River,  Greenwood  county :  I  have  about  twenty  grape 
vines,  planted  on  sandy  upland  loam.  Set  yearling  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune 
in  February.  My  trellis  is  posts  and  smooth  wires.  I  cultivate  while  the  vines 
are  small ;  then  keep  the  weeds  hoed  out.  I  mulched  my  vines  one  year,  but  it 
was  a  wet  season  and  the  grapes  mildewed.  I  never  tried  it  again.  Have  tried 
only  Concord.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  Raise  them  for  family  use  only. 

W.  H.  WIGGINS,  Lapland,  Greenwood  county  :  I  have  1000  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  an  eastern  slope,  which  I  think  is  preferable.  Plant  two-year-old  vines, 
6x10  feet.  Prune  in  March,  and  during  the  summer  I  take  off  any  vines  which 
hang  down.  I  use  a  hedge  post  at  each  vine,  with  wires  stretched  along  the 
rows.  Cultivate  with  a  plow  and  hoe;  shallow  culture  is  best.  Do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Concord,  which  I  would  recommend.  Gather  in  twenty-pound  bas- 
kets and  sell  at  home,  receiving  two  cents  per  pound.  They  are  a  profitable, 
paying  crop,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  here.  Have  never  sacked 
the  fruit,  as  I  do  n't  think  it  would  pay. 

JOHN  BAILEY,  Harper,  Harper  county :  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  six  by 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  51 

twelve  feet.  Till  with  a  five-shovel  cultivator ;  prune  in  «the  spring.  I  do  not 
summer  prune.  Never  bagged  any  grapes.  Market  at  home;  the  price  is  gen- 
erally one  and  a  half  to  two  cents  per  pound.  I  consider  them  a  pacing  crop. 

W.  E.  BLACKBURN,  Anthony,  Harper  county:  I  have  one-third  of  an  acre  of 
grape-vines,  planted  on  brown,  sandy  loam.  Set  one-year-old  vines;  Delaware 
four  by  six  feet,  and  stronger  varieties  ten  by  ten  feet.  Prune  to  two  arms  early 
in  February ;  I  also  prune  by  breaking  off  buds  that  are  not  wanted  as  soon  as  in* 
bloom,  and  later  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the  shoots  when  the  fruit  is  well  set.  Have 
tried  Concord,  Delaware,  Cottage,  Worden,  Moyer,  Herbemont,  Norton's  Virginia,- 
Cynthiana,  Niagara,  Martha,  Moore's  Diamond,  Goethe,  Early  Ohio,  and  several 
others  that  have  not  fruited  yet.  Have  discarded  Concord  and  Cottage  for  poor 
quality,  and  Herbemont  because  our  hot  weather  in  August  forced  ripening  and 
impaired  quality.  Those  best  for  this  locality  are  Delaware,  Moyer,  Niagara, 
Goethe,  Martha,  Diamond,  Norton's  Virginia,  Worden,  and  Early  Ohio.  Think 
Munson's  post-oak  hybrids  will  do  well  here,  and  I  have  a  dozen  or  more  varie- 
ties under  experiment.  They  are  a  paying  crop,  and  I  would  advise  extensive 
planting  for  shipping,  if  near  a  railroad.  Have  sacked  the  fruit,  but  it  do  n't  pay. 
The  birds  pick  through  the  sacks.  The  best  plan  is  to  train  the  leaf  growth  so 
as  to  conceal  the  fruit. 

EDWARD  CHATELAINE,  Harper,  Harper  county :  I  have  200  grape-vines  grow- 
ing in  sandy  loam.  I  think  an  eastern  slope  preferable,  and  natural  protection 
an  advantage.  Plant  one-year-old  vines  started  from  mother  vines  [layers?]. 
Cuttings  make  poor  vines.  Set  them  4x6  feet.  Prune  closely  any  time  after  the 
leaves  drop,  cutting  out  all  old  canes,  if  possible,  leaving  all  of  the  new  growth^ 
Do  not  summer  prune,  as  the  shade  is  all  wanted  to  protect  the  fruit  from  the 
hot  sun.  Till  shallow,  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator  and  hoe.  Do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Concord,  Rogers's  Hybrid,  Delaware,  Moore's  Early,  Champion, 
Clinton,  Isabella,  Martha,  and  Niagara.  Have  discarded  Champion,  Martha, 
and  Clinton,  because  of  poor  quality ;  and  Niagara,  because  of  inclination  to  burn. 
I  would  recommend  Concord,  Rogers's  Hybrid,  and  Delaware,  as  they  are  the 
most  satisfactory  here.  The  surplus,  after  the  family  gets  what  it  wants,  is  sold 
for  three  cents  per  pound.  They  would  be  a  paying  crop  at  this  price;  at  less 
they  would  not.  I  would  advise  planting  for  the  family  and  not  for  commercial 
purposes.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  as  I  do  n't  think  it  would  pay. 

J.  C.  CURRAN,  Curran,  Harper  county:  I  have  1000  grape-vines  growing  on 
land  that  is  damp  —  subirrigated ;  slope  makes  no  difference.  Prune  after  the 
leaves  fall  by  cutting  away  all  dead  wood ;  I  prune  during  the  summer  when  I 
can,  as  soon  as  the  grapes  are  set.  Till  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator;  a  hoe  is  the 
best  tool;  do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Niagara,  Agawam,  Champion, 
Hartford  Prolific,  Moore's  Early,  Pocklington,  and  several  others  which  do* 
well;  have  discarded  none.  Niagara,  Catawba,  Concord,  Missouri  Reisling- 
and  Agawam  do  well  here.  Sell  my  grapes  for  two  to  three  cents  per  pound. 
They  are  profitable,  and  I  would  advise  extensive  planting  if  your  land  is  suit- 
able. Have  sacked  the  fruit,  but  it  did  not  pay;  the  wind  whips  the  sacks,  and 
the  rain  spoils  them;  they  get  off.  All  kinds  of  grapes,  excepting  the  Muscove, 
do  well  here.  Plant  them  eight  feet  apart,  and  use  a  trellis  four  feet  wide.  Da 
not  mulch,  as  in  this  climate  the  roots  come  up  between  the  mulching  and  the 
lower  ones  disappear,  and  the  vineyard  is  ruined;  a  new  one  can  be  grown  before 
this  will  recover.  Cultivate  after  each  rain;  keep  it  raked  up  loose,  so  as  to  form 
a  dust  mulch.  You  can  raise  grapes  by  the  ton  in  this  county.  The  enemies  of 
grapes  are  poultry  and  birds.  We  provide  homes  for  the  birds  but  do  not  pro- 


52  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

vide  food  for  them;  the  mulberries  and  cherries  are  all  gone  when  the  dry 
weather  comes  on,  and  the  birds  must  eat  the  grapes  or  starve.  To  kill  them  is 
cruel  and  only  destroys  our  best  friends.  There  is  a  remedy  for  this  difficulty 
that  is  cheap  and  sure;  it  is,  plant  wild  cherries,  elderberries,  black  haws  and 
wild  grapes  some  distance  from  your  vineyard,  which  will  furnish  food  for  them, 
and  they  will  not  trouble  your  grapes. 

V.  B.  JONES,  Syracuse,  Hamilton  county  :  I  have  about  a  dozen  grape  vines, 
Bet  on  dark  loam.  I  planted  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Culti- 
tivate  with  a  plow  and  Acme  harrow,  the  same  as  corn.  Do  not  mulch.  The 
grasshoppers  prune  my  vines  for  me.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Worden.  They 
are  not  profitable,  and  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  here.  Have  never 
sacked  the  fruit.  I  set  out  about  an  acre  several  years  ago  and  irrigated  them 
once  or  twice,  and  they  grew  pretty  well  till  the  latter  part  "of  the  summer,  when 
the  grasshoppers  stripped  them  of  their  foliage.  The  following  year  we  failed  to 
get  water  to  irrigate  with,  and  the  grasshoppers  about  finished  them.  I  have 
about  a  dozen  of  them  left  which  I  have  just  transplanted  to  a  place  where  I  can 
irrigate  them, 

A.  J.  SALTZMAN,  Burrton,  Harvey  county :  Have  600  grape-vines,  on  a  south- 
ern slope;  mostly  Concord,  with  a  few  Moore's  Early,  Champion,  Agawam,  El- 
vira, and  Lindley.  I  would  recommend  for  all  purposes  Concord,  as  it  is  hard 
to  beat.  Champion  is  good  for  early.  Agawam  and  Lindley  are  among  the  best 
for  table  use.  I  plant  first  class  one-year-old  vines,  in  rows  eight  feet  apart,  the 
vines  six  feet  in  the  rows.  Cultivate  with  five-tootb  cultivator.  In  February  I 
prune  back  to  two  or  three  buds;  also  prune  some  in  summer,  as  it  throws  the 
strength  to  the  fruit.  My  trellis  is  posts  and  wire.  Have  never  bagged  grapes, 
but  think  it  might  do  in  a  small  way,  but  otherwise  is  too  expensive.  I  cut  the 
stems  with  a  knife  and  pack  into  baskets  at  once,  using  ten-  and  twenty-pound 
baskets.  Market  north  and  west  of  here,  receiving  from  $80  to  $150  per  acre 
for  them.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 

DAVID  LEHMAN,  Halstead,  Harvey  county:  Have  160  Concord  grape-vines 
growing  on  sandy  loam  with  an  eastern  elope.  Planted  one-year-old  vines,  4x6 
feet.  Till  deeply  in  spring  with  a  cultivator,  and  more  shallow  later.  Prune, 
leaving  three  or  four  one-year-old  arms  and  one  or  two  stubs ;  also  summer  prune, 
to  check  the  growth  of  the  vine  and  increase  the  growth  of  the  fruit.  I  think 
posts  and  wires  make  the  best  trellis. 

WILLIAM  J.  CLARK,  Halstead,  Harvey  county :  I  have  seventy-five  grape-vines, 
planted  on  sandy  loam  which  slopes  to  the  southwest,  but  I  do  not  think  this 
desirable,  as  they  get  too  much  sun.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart. 
Prune  in  February  by  cutting  out  old  wood,  also  all  new,  excepting  about  four 
new  vines.  Do  not  summer  prune.  I  use  a  cultivator  and  harrow  early ;  then 
cover  with  a  heavy  mulch  of  coarse  stable  litter  or  stalks.  Concord  is  the  only 
variety  I  have  tried.  Have  never  marketed  any ;  they  are  a  sure  crop  here,  but 
the  prices  are  low ;  I  would  advise  planting  extensively  if  we  could  get  better 
prices.  I  have  sacked  my  grapes,  but  the  birds  pick  holes  in  the  sacks.  It  does 
not  pay. 

HENRY  CHATELES,  Newton,  Harvey  county:  I  have  fifteen  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  black  loam  having  a  fifteen-inch,  yellow-clay  subsoil.  I  think  slope  makes 
a  difference;  would  prefer  a  southeastern.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet; 
prune  during  winter  to  two  or  three  buds.  For  a  trellis  I  use  Osage  orange 
stakes.  Cultivate  shallow  —  three  inches;  a  hoe  is  best  for  small  patches;  I 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  53 

mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried  Concord,  Martha,  Empire  State,  Niagara,  Worden, 
and  Moore's  Early;  have  discarded  all  but  Concord,  as  they  either  die  or  wither; 
I  would  recommend  the  Concord  for  this  locality.  The  birds  gather  most  of  the 
fruit.  They  would  pay  if  one  had  ten  or  more  acres,  but  would  not  advise  exten- 
sive planting,  as  they  are  too  cheap  —  two  and  one-half  cents  per  pound.  Have 
never  sacked  the  fruit.  The  moles  are  quite  destructive  here;  they  get  at  the 
roots  during  winter  and  kill  them. 

P.  NABB ( reported  by  C.  A.  Seaman),  Sedgwick,  Harvey  county:  Mr.  Nabb 
has  one  acre  of  grape-vines  growing  on  a  clay  side-hill.  He  prefers  a  south- 
western slope,  as  he  thinks  it  improves  the  quality;  sets  two-year-old  vines,  8x10 
feet ;  prunes  to  two  eyes  in  February ;  uses  posts  and  wires  for  a  trellis ;  tills  his 
vines  with  a  five-shovel  cultivator;  does  not  mulch.  He  has  Concord,  Salem, 
Delaware,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  and  Clinton,  and  is  best  satisfied  with  Con- 
cord and  recommends  it  for  that  locality.  Cuts  his  grapes  from  the  vines,  and 
places  them  directly  into  the  baskets  in  which  they  are  marketed;  sells  at  home, 
for  two  cents  per  pound.  He  considers  them  profitable,  but  would  not  advise 
extensive  planting  in  his  locality.  He  has  never  used  sacks,  but  says  the  birds 
are  so  very  bad  that  he  must  do  something  to  protect  the  fruit. 

C.  BASTIAN,  Wittrup,  Hodgeman  county :  I  have  forty-two  grape-vines,  set 
on  one  foot  of  black  loam  having  a  yellow  subsoil  which  slopes  to  the  northeast. 
My  varieties  are  thirty  Concord  and  twelve  Moore's  Early.  I  prefer  one-year-old 
vines,  set  eight  feet  apart.  Cultivate  my  vines  one  year,  then  mulch;  summer 
prune.,  letting  only  two  canes  grow ;  pinch  suckers  once  a  week.  Have  never 
bagged  my  grapes.  I  think  they  are  a  paying  crop  in  western  Kansas. 

JOHN  VETTER,  Santa  F£,  Haskell  county:  I  have  400  grape-vines,  planted  on 
upland,  which  would  be  better  if  a  little  sandy.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  five  feet 
apart.  Prune  ten  buds  to  the  rib.  For  a  trellis  I  use  posts  and  wires,  to  which 
I  tie  the  vines.  Till  them  with  a  plow,  but  a  cultivator  is  the  best  implement 
for  the  work.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  only  Concord,  which  I  would  recom- 
mend, as  it  does  well  in  this  locality.  Market  in  local  market,  receiving  three 
cents  per  pound.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruitr 

P.  W.  DIXON,  Holton,  Jackson  county:  I  have  1000  grape-vines,  on  a  south- 
ern slope.  They  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Worden,  and  Elvira.  Would 
recommend  this  list.  Have  experimentally  tried  Niagara,  Pocklington,  Wyo- 
ming Red,  and  Hartford.  Hartford  and  Pocklington  are  good.  I  plant  one- 
year-old  vines,  8x10  feet.  Till  with  an  Acme  cultivator  harrow.  Prune  in  early 
March,  cutting  new  growth  back  to  two  or  three  buds,  on  the  arm-and-spur  sys- 
tem; never  summer  prune,  because  it  costs  money  and  is  of  no  particular  benefit, 
I  think  posts  and  three  wires  make  the  best  trellis.  Sometimes  I  bag  some,  but 
it  will  not  pay.  Pick  in  eight-pound  baskets,  ready  for  market.  Market  at 
home  mostly,  realizing  fifty  dollars  net  per  acre.  They  are  a  paying  crop.  Have 
put  up  unfermented  grape  juice.  We  press  the  juice  out,  bring  to  a  boil,  skimr 
sweeten  to  taste,  and  seal  in  bottles. 

F.  L.  OSBORN,  Soldier,  Jackson  county :  I  have  700  grape-vines  growing  on 
an  eastern  slope  with  black  loam  soil.  My  varieties  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
and  Worden  ;  I  recommend  Concord  and  Moore's  Early.  I  have  several  varieties 
that  I  do  not  know  the  name  of,  but  all  of  them  are  doing  well.  I  prefer  two- 
year-old  vines,  set  eight  by  ten  feet.  I  cultivate  shallow  but  thorough ;  weeds 
should  not  be  allowed  to  grow  up  through  vines;  they  cause  rot.  I  prune  in 
February  or  March ;  trim  the  new  wood  to  two  buds ;  my  trellis  is  of  wire,  which- 


54  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

is  cheap,  and  creates  less  shade  and  take  less  room  than  wood  trellises.  I  sum- 
mer prune  if  the  vines  are  very  thrifty;  the  fruit  develops  better  and  ripens 
«vener.  I  have  never  bagged  any  and  would  not  advise  it,  as  I  do  not  think  the 
price  of  fruit  would  justify  it.  I  gather  by  cutting  with  a  knife,  and  pack  in 
baskets  and  market  at  home,  realizing  three  cents  per  poundt  for  one  and  one- 
half  tons.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  Grapes  may  be  profitably  grown  in 
Jackson  county  if  the  vines  are  properly  cared  for,  but  through  neglect  sixty  per 
xjent.  of  the  vines  here  have  died  during  the  past.  Pruning  is  but  little  under- 
stood by  Kansans  here,  and,  unless  directed  by  a  German  or  some  one  of  vineyard 
experience,  the  vines  are  not  cut  back  sufficiently,  causing  them  to  overbear, 
which  is  very  hard  on  them,  killing  them  in  two  or  three  years.  Exhausted  by 
overproduction  and  robbed  by  weeds,  a  hard  winter  easily  kills  them.  Some 
mulch  to  keep  down  weeds,  but  this  proved  unsatisfactory  with  us,  as  it  induces 
ifche  roots  to  grow  near  the  top  of  the  ground,  making  them  hard  to  cultivate  and 
«asily  injured  by  dry  weather. 

J.  W.  WILLIAMS,  Holton,  Jackson  county:  I  have  seventeen  vines,  planted  on 
prairie  upland  having  a  southern  slope.  Set  one-  and  two-year-old  vines, 
8x10  feet  apart.  I  prune  in  December  or  February,  by  cutting  back  last  year's 
growth  to  two  or  three  buds.  My  trellis  is  hard- wood  stakes,  six  to  eight  feet 
high.  I  till  them  with  a  garden  rake,  but  if  I  had  many  would  use  a  plow.  Do 
not  mulch.  Prune  the  green  shoots  during  the  summer  by  pinching  back  to 
within  two  buds  of  the  bunches.  I  have  tried  Concord,  Pocklington,  Moore's 
Early,  Wyoming  Red,  Martha,  Norton's  Virginia,  Delaware,  Niagara,  Clinton, 
Catawba,  and  Isabella.  Of  these,  I  have  discarded  all  excepting  Concord,  Wyo- 
ming  Red,  and  Moore's  Early,  because  it  does  not  pay  to  raise  so  many  varieties. 
Moore's  Early  and  Concord  do  best  here.  Gather  and  market  in  grape  baskets, 
receiving  two  cents  per  pound.  They  do  not  pay,  and  I  would  not  advise  plant- 
ing them  largely  here.  I  have  tried  sacking  my  grapes,  and  find  that  it  pays; 
have  bagged  one  bunch  on  a  limb  where  there  were  two  or  three,  and  found  that 
the  unbagged  bunches  rotted,  while  the  bagged  bunch  was  not  affected.  Have 
put  up  unfermented  grape  juice ;  take  ripe  grapes,  strip  from  stems,  put  into  a  ves- 
sel, boil  to  a  pulp,  press  through  a  colander,  then  strain  and  put  juice  on  to  boil 
again,  adding  sugar  to  fairly  sweeten;  bottle  while  hot  and  seal  up. 

JOHN  M.  BACON,  Soldier,  Jackson  county :  I  have  125  grape-vines,  planted  on 
upland  prairie;  an  eastern  or  southern  slope  is  preferable;  set  one-year-old  vines, 
8x10  feet;  prune  back  to  two  or  three  buds  in  the  fall,  and  cut  all  the  long 
shoots  on  the  sides  of  the  rows  during  summer;  use  a  wire  trellis;  cultivate  with 
a  one-horse  double-shovel  plow  and  a  hoe;  do  not  mulch  my  vines;  have  tried 
Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  Salem,  Agawam,  August  Giant,  Jewel,  Jeffer- 
son, Niagara,  Elvira,  and  several  others;  have  discarded  the  Jewel  and  Elvira; 
tthe  former  is  small  and  almost  tasteless,  and  the  latter  is  no  better  than  a  ground- 
cherry;  all  varieties  do  well  here,  but  Worden  best,  with  August  Giant  a  close 
second;  I  would  recommend  for  planting  here  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Salem, 
August  Giant,  Jefferson,  and  Agawam;  gather  generally  in  sixteen-pound  bas- 
kets; sell  at  home,  receiving  three  cents  per  pound;  they  are  a  profitable  crop, 
but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting;  have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  We  put 
cup  unfermented  grape  juice;  boil  the  grapes,  and  as  soon  as  cool  squeeze  out  the 
juice;  add  one  pound  of  sugar  to  every  half-gallon  of  juice  and  bring  to  a  boil; 
skim,  and  seal  in  fruit-cans. 

J.  W.  CURRY,  Dunavant,  Jefferson  county:  I  have  fifty  vines,  planted  on 
Iieavy  soil.  I  think  a  north  slope  best.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  55 

Prune  in  March,  to  one  or  two  of  last  year  buds;  sometimes  prune  during  wet 
weather  in  the  summer.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  wire.  .Till  by  plowing  and 
hoeing  in  the  spring  and  then  mulch.  I  have  tried  Concord,  Delaware,  and  a 
white  grape;  the  Concord  does  best  and  I  would  recommend  it  for  this  locality. 
It  pays  to  raise  them  for  home  use,  but  I  would  not  advise  planting  them  exten- 
sively. Have  never  tried  bagging  the  fruit. 

Lou  MILLER,  Perry,  Jefferson  county:  I  have  about  300  grape-vines,  planted 
on  a  northeastern  slope,  with  a  gray  loam  soil  and  a  clay  subsoil.  My  variety  is 
the  Clinton;  I  have  one  variety  which  I  am  testing  experimentally.  I  plant 
yearling  vines,  eight  feet  in  the  row,  and  cultivate  with  plow  and  hoe;  prune  in 
the  winter  by  cutting  back  to  two  or  three  buds.  Have  a  wire  trellis;  do  not 
prune  in  the  summer.  Have  never  bagged  any  ;  use  all  the  fruit  at  home;  pick 
them  as  wanted.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop  for  home  use. 

H.  R.  ROBERTS,  Perry,  Jefferson  county:  Have  about  100  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  upland  of  a  dark  loam  with  a  clay  subsoil,  sloping  to  the  northwest.  My 
varieties  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  and  Worden.  Would  recom- 
mend Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  and  Concord.  I  plant  one  year-old  vines,  ten  by 
ten  feet;  cultivate  with  a  corn  cultivator  and  hoe;  prune  early  in  March  to 
three  buds;  I  do  not  summer  prune  for  lack  of  time;  probably  it  would  not  pay. 
My  trellis  is  made  of  barbed  wire,  which  I  think  is  best  in  this  windy  country, 
as  the  wind  cannot  slide  the  vines  along  on  this  as  it  can  on  smooth  wire,  when 
blowing  lengthwise  of  the  trellis.  Have  never  bagged  any.  Gather  in  eight-  or 
ten-pound  baskets  —  I  prefer  eight- pound  —  and  market  as  near  by  as  possible.  Do 
not  know  how  much  I  realize  from  my  grapes,  but  they  are  not  very  profitable. 

M.  M.  GABORSCH,  Salem,  Jewell  county:  I  have  fifty  grape-vines;  a  south 
slope  is  preferable;  planted  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in  the  fall. 
I  use  a  trellis  of  four-foot  posts  and  smooth  wire.  Cultivate  with  a  one-horse 
plow;  I  also  mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Virginia  Seedling,  but 
discarded  the  latter  because  it  did  not  pay;  would  recommend  Concord  only  for 
this  locality.  Cut  my  grapes  from  the  vines  with  a  knife.  I  would  advise 
planting  extensively,  as  they  are  a  paying  crop.  Have  never  tried  sacking  my 
grapes.  I  have  had  ten  years'  experience  with  grapes;  use  to  raise  them  in 
Illinois,  and  think  they  would  pay  in  Kansas,  if  given  proper  attention. 

HENRY  RHOADES,  Gardner,  Johnson  county:  I  have  about  fifty  vines,  mostly 
Concord.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  I  heat  the  juice,  and  seal 
while  hot. 

E.  P.  DIEHL,  Olathe,  Johnson  county:  Have  300  grape-vines  growing  on 
black  loam  sloping  slightly  to  the  south.  Have  tested  Concord,  Herbemont, 
Pocklington,  Delaware,  and  Clinton;  have  discarded  Herbemont,  Clinton  and 
Pocklington  as  not  profitable;  would  recommend  Moore's  Early  and  Delaware, 
with  which  I  have  had  very  good  success.  Plant  one-year-old  vines,  eight  feet 
apart;  cultivate  with  a  one-horse  cultivator  and  hoe,  more  thoroughly  in  dry 
seasons,  but  in  wet  seasons  let  the  weeds  grow,  which  will  prevent  the  rot. 
Prune  closely  in  February;  then  again  in  summer,  to  improve  the  fruit.  I  have  a 
wire  trellis.  Bag  my  grapes,  and  would  advise  it;  it  protects  the  fruit  from  bees 
and  insects.  Gather  in  baskets  and  market  at  Olathe,  realizing  from  twenty  to 
thirty-five  dollars  per  acre.  They  are  not  a  paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfer- 
mented grape  juice;  boil  the  juice,  skim,  put  in  bottles,  and  seal  tightly. 

J.  C.  BECKLEY,  Spring  Hill,  Johnson  county :  I  have  134  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  mulatto  soil  sloping  slightly  to  the  west.  My  varieties  are :  Concord, 


56  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Delaware,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Worden,  Agawam,  Ives,  Dracut  Amber, 
Duchess,  and  some  others  (names  lost).  I  would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's 
Early,  Niagara,  and  Worden,  also  Delaware;  but  the  latter  must  be  protected  in 
winter,  as  it  is  somewhat  tender,  but  bears  well  every  year.  I  have  experimented 
with  Wyoming  Red,  Catawba,  and  Goethe,  and  find  them  fairly  good.  I  prefer 
one-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  ten  feet  apart.  I 
cultivate  with  a  team  and  plow.  Prune  in  February  with  pruning  shears.  My  trel- 
lises are  good  hedge  posts  and  two  No.  9  wires.  Do  very  little  summer  pruning, 
as  it  does  n't  pay  for  the  labor.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  and  would  not  ad- 
vise it,  as  I  do  not  think  it  would  pay  here.  Market  my  grapes  in  ten-pound 
grape  baskets,  mostly  at  home.  Sometimes  I  ship  them  South.  I  realize  about 
seventy-five  dollars  per  acre.  I  consider  them  profitable.  The  soil  should  be  of 
ordinary  fertility,  such  as  would  raise  a  fair  corn  crop.  Rich,  loamy  lands  are 
objectionable.  Soils  retaining  a  surplus  of  water  should  have  drainage  both  of 
the  surface  and  subsoil.  High  lands  are  preferable,  as  such  often  escape  late 
spring  frosts,  and  receive  a  circulation  of  air  among  the  vines,  which  is  very 
necessary  to  the  grape,  and  will  to  some  extent  avert  the  tendency  to  rot.  On 
such  lands  the  wood  matures  best,  and  the  fruit  is  of  fine  quality.  Windbreaks 
are  detrimental,  because  th.e  grape  must  have  all  the  light  and  air  it  can  get,  in 
order  to  be  of  the  very  best  quality.  I  prefer  a  western  slope;  a  southern  slope 
is  too  dry  and  hot.  A  northern  or  eastern  slope  is  not  good,  as  it  affects  the  fla- 
vor and  quality  of  the  fruit.  The  grape  does  best  where  the  ground  is  cultivated 
and  kept  clean  of  weeds  and  trash.  The  new  wood,  or  last  year's  growth,  should 
be  cut  back  to  one  or  two  eyes  where  the  vine  is  over  three  years'  old  and  well 
tied  up  to  the  trellis.  As  the  fruit  will  keep  but  a  short  time,  it  should  be 
packed  in  the  common  grape  baskets  and  marketed  as  soon  as  ripe.  Before 
packing,  all  defective  berries  should  be  removed  and  the  clusters  placed  with 
the  stem  downward.  If  for  a  distant  market,  they  must  be  picked  before  fully 
ripe. 

C.  H.  LONGSTRETH,  Lakin,  Kearny  county:  I  have  150  vines,  planted  on 
level  land;  they  are  Concord,  Worden,  and  Niagara.  I  would  recommend  these 
varieties.  I  prefer  good  one-year-old  vines,  planted  in  rows  eight  feet  apart,  eight 
to  ten  feet  in  the  row.  Cultivate  shallow,  in  the  early  part  of  the  season;  prune 
closely  during  the  winter,  when  there  is  no  frost:  my  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and 
three  wires — two,  four  and  six  feet  from  the  ground.  I  do  not  prune  in  the  sum- 
mer, as  I  do  not  think  it  beneficial  to  the  growth  of  fruit.  Have  never  bagged 
any.  Market  my  grapes  at  home,  and  consider  them  profitable. 

W.  R.  COLEMAN,  Kingman,  Kingman  county:  I  have  five  acres  of  grapes, 
planted  on  black,  sandy  loam.  A  northeast  elope  is  preferable.  Set  good,  strong 
two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  each  way.  Prune  from  January  1  to  March  15  to 
spurs,  on  the  renewal  plan.  I  also  prune  three  times  during  summer,  leaving 
three  leaves  beyord  the  last  bunch  on  each  cane;  last  pruning  not  later  than 
July  1.  I  use  a  trellis  of  good  posts,  twenty-four  feet  apart,  and  a  single  No.  12 
wire.  Cultivate  in  March  with  a  turning  plow,  and  the  remainder  of  the  season 
with  a  one-horse,  five-shovel  cultivator.  Do  not  stir  deep  enough  to  tear  the 
roots.  I  would  prefer  a  one-horse  disk,  if  I  could  get  it.  Do  not  mulch,  as  it  en- 
tices the  roots  too  near  the  surface.  I  have  tried  thirty  or  forty  varieties,  and 
have  discarded  all  but  six  of  the  most  profitable.  Thoee  which  do  best  and  that 
I  would  recommend  are:  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Niagara,  Catawba,  and  Lady 
Washington.  Market  in  ten-  and  twenty-pound  baskets;  sell  in  local  market,  re- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  57 

ceiving  an  average  of  two  and  one  half  cents  per  pound  for  the  past  ten  years. 
They  are  a  profitable  crop,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have 
never  tried  sacking  the  fruit. 

W.  J.  BROWN,  Greensburg,  Kiowa  county:  I  have  100  grape  vines  growing 
on  black,  sandy  loam,  which  have  been  set  fourteen  years.  A  northeast  slope  is 
preferable.  Set  out  one-year-old  vines,  8x15  feet.  Prune  in  November  to  two 
and  three  buds  of  last  year's  growth.  For  a  trellis,  I  use  two  slats  on  a  post  five 
feet  high.  Till  them  with  a  cultivator  and  harrow;  a  double-shovel  cultivator 
and  a  one-horse  harrow  are  the  beet  implements  for  this  work.  I  manure  my  vines 
some.  Have  tried  Concord,  Delaware,  Martha,  and  Goethe ;  discarded  the 
Martha  and  Goethe,  as  they  would  not  stand  the  climate ;  the  soil  is  so  porous 
they  are  destroyed  by  winter  freezing.  I  would  recommend  Concord  for  this 
locality,  as  it  does  best  here.  I  pickle  a  good  many  of  my  grapes.  They  are 
profitable  to  a  limited  extent,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  here. 
Have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  as  our  market  would  not  warrant  it.  We  put  up 
unfermented  grape  juice  like  we  can  fruit. 

A.  D.  EINSEL,  Greensburg,  Kiowa  county :  Have  about  a  dozen  vines,  planted 
on  sandy  soil.  Set  10x10  feet.  Prune  back  to  two  eyes.  Use  stakes  for  trellis. 
Cultivate  by  spading  around  the  vine  in  the  spring.  I  mulch  my  vines.  Have 
tried  Concord  only.  Grow  only  for  home  use.  Planted  a  vineyard  of  500  vines 
when  the  land  was  new,  but  all  are  dead  excepting  nine ;  did  not  attend  them  as 
I  should;  think  they  would  do  better  now. 

D.  E.  WINTERS,  Haviland,  Kiowa  county:  Almost  any  kind  of  land  will  grow 
grapes  if  well  cared  for;  my  land  has  a  northern  slope;  varieties  are  Worden  and 
Concord,  which  latter  does  best;  1  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  twelve  feet  apart; 
till  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe;  prune  in  the  spring;  my  trellis  has  three  wires;  I 
do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  think  it  retards  the  development  of  the  fruit;  have 
never  bagged  my  grapes ;  I  think  it  too  much  trouble ;  cut  my  grapes  with  scis- 
sors and  market  in  baskets  at  home;  I  think  they  pay;  I  think  grapes  can  be 
grown  for  profit  in  this  county  if  properly  set  and  started  right;  they  will  prob- 
ably need  a  little  water  the  first  year  and  in  July  of  second  year,  but  the  main 
thing  is  to  cultivate  and  keep  all  — not  part — of  the  weeds  out;  allow  no  sod 
nearer  than  eight  feet;  prune  closely  in  spring  and  keep  vices  as  near  to  the 
ground  as  possible ;  all  the  grape-vines  in  the  county  that  I  know  of  are  fine 
where  cared  for,  and  yield  abundantly,  but  there  are  only  a  few  vines;  a  few  men 
have  a  hundred  or  more,  but  most  have  ten  or  twenty;  I  have  set  only  twelve  so 
far;  shall  set  more  next  year;  they  will  be  half  Worden  and  half  Concord. 

CHARLES  HARRINGTON,  Altamont,  Labette  county:  Have  100  grape-vines 
growing  on  level  land.  Varieties  tested  are  Concord,  Clinton,  Dracut  Amber, 
Worden,  Moore's  Early,  etc.  Have  discarded  Clinton,  as  it  rots  too  badly. 
Would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Dracut  Amber,  Worden,  Concord,  and  Moore's 
Diamond.  Am  testing  experimentally  Brighton,  Goethe,  Pocklington,  Camp- 
bell's Early,  Niagara,  Early  Ohio,  Elvira,  and  Delaware ;  these  have  not  yet  come 
into  bearing.  Plant  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  eight  by  ten  feet;  till  with  a  five- 
tooth-cultivator.  Prune  in  February  to  two  buds  with  pruning  shears;  do  not 
summer  prune,  as  the  sun  burns  the  fruit.  I  think  a  trellis  of  posts  and  wires  is 
best.  Do  not  bag  any,  but  would  advise  it,  as  the  bags  protect  the  fruit  from 
disease,  insects,  and  birds,  and  it  can  hang  on  the  vines  much  longer.  Gather 
with  pruning  sheers;  market  at  home  and  in  Colorado,  in  eight-pound  baskets. 
I  think  the  grape  a  moderately  paying  crop. 


58  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

S.  M.  BEESON,  Angola,  Labette  county :  I  have  fifty  grape-vines,  planted  on 
heavy  loam  having  a  clay  subsoil.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  four  by  eight  feet. 
Prune  any  time  during  the  winter  when  the  sap  is  out  of  the  vines;  cut  out  all 
old  growth,  leaving  nothing  but  the  previous  year's  growth.  Do  not  summer 
prune.  Use  a  trellis  made  of  Osage  orange  posts  and  wire.  Till  with  a  cultivator ; 
think  a  five-tooth  cultivator  best.  Tried  mulching  my  vines  and  lost  them. 
Have  tried  Concord;  that  is  the  only  variety  grown  here.  Would  recommend 
Dracut  Amber,  Champion,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  Niagara,  Wyoming  Red, 
and  Concord.  Use  all  of  our  grapes  at  home ;  do  not  think  they  would  pay  for 
commercial  purposes,  as  we  are  too  far  from  market.  I  would  not  advise  exten- 
sive planting  here.  Have  never  sacked  my  grapes,  as  they  are  not  troubled  with 
anything;  but  think  it  would  pay  for  home  use.  Twelve  years  ago  I  had  fine 
bearing  vines  mulched  with  straw,  and  in  three  years  they  were  all  dead.  Some 
use  corn-cobs  for  mulching  with  good  results.  My  experience  is  that  shallow 
but  thorough  cultivation  is  best. 

CHAS.  A.  GORDON,  Chetopa,  Labette  county :  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  clay  and  sandy  land.  I  think  slope  makes  some  difference,  and 
would  prefer  any  slope  but  north.  Set  yearling  vines  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in 
November  or  January  to  two  buds;  also,  summer  prune  until  the  grapes  get 
their  growth ;  then  let  a  few  shoots  grow.  Tie  my  vines  to  a  single  stake.  Shal- 
low, frequent  tillage,  with  garden  cultivator,  is  best.  Mulch  with  well-pulverized 
earth.  Have  tried  Concord  and  one  other  variety.  We  receive  two  cents  per 
pound  for  the  fruit,  but  they  are  not  a  very  profitable  crop.  Would  not  advise 
extensive  planting.  Have  tried  sacking,  on  a  small  scale;  it  protects  the  fruit 
very  well,  but  I  do  n't  think  it  pays.  We  have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice; 
we  Pasteurize  it. 

R.  DEGARMO,  Oswego,  Labette  county :  I  have  about  100  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  black  limestone  soil.  Set  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune, 
during  winter,  by  cutting  away  all  surplus  wood;  during  summer,  prune  away 
all  beyond  the  third  bunch.  Use  a  trellis  five  feet  high.  Till  with  a  cultivator 
and  hoe.  I  consider  shallow  cultivation  best.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Con- 
cord, Moore's  Early,  Moore's  Diamond,  Goethe,  Pocklington,  and  two  or  three 
white  grapes.  Have  discarded  Moore's  Early,  or,  rather,  will  soon;  Clinton  be- 
cause it  is  too  small  and  sour,  and  Diana,  which  is  a  good  grape,  but  too  tender. 
I  would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Diamond,  Goethe,  and  Pocklington.  We 
use  all  of  our  grapes  at  home.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting,  as  they 
are  so  badly  affected  with  rot.  I  have  sacked  the  fruit  for  several  years,  and 
think  it  pays,  as  they  last  longer  in  the  fall ;  but  I  did  not  always  get  them  on 
soon  enough  to  avoid  rot. 

D.  E.  BRADSTREET,  Dighton,  Lane  county :  Have  hadjfif ty  grape-vines,  planted 
on  bottom  land.  I  set  yearling  vices,  seven  feet  apart.  Prune  during  February, 
with  a  knife.  Use  a  smooth-wire  trellis.  Cultivate  my  grapes  with  hoe  to  keep 
the  weeds  down.  A  cultivator  is  a  good  tool  for  this  use.  I  mulch  my  vines  to 
prevent  them  from  budding  too  early.  Have  tried  only  Concord;  I  consider 
them  a  paying  crop,  but  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  never  bagged 
the  fruit.  They  were  a  paying  crop  before  the  grasshoppers  stripped  and  killed 
them.  I  raised  turkeys  to  kill  the  grasshoppers,  but  the  turkeys  ate  the  grapes 
when  half  grown. 

JACOB  GRAVES,  Healy,  Lane  county:  Have  one  and  one-half  acres  of  grapes, 
set  on  a  sandy  loam  bottom.  Planted  one-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune  dur- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  59 

Ing  the  winter  when  not  frozen;  cut  back  one-half  of  last  year's  growth;  during 
summer  I  prune  all  the  new  growth  from  the  ground.  Use  a  wire  trellis.  Till 
with  a  cultivator  and  hoe.  I  think  a  cultivator  and  stirring  plow  are  the  best 
tools  for  this  work;  they  should  be  cultivated  often;  shallow  cultivation  is  best. 
I  do  not  mulch,  but  think  it  would  be  a  good  thing  here,  and  I  certainly  would  if 
I  had  the  mulching.  Have  tried  Concord,  Clinton,  Delaware,  and  Moore's  Early ; 
have  discarded  the  Clinton  and  Moore's  Early ;  the  Clinton  is  no  good,  and 
Moore's  Early  winter-kills;  would  recommend  Concord,  as  it  does  best  here. 
Gather  my  grapes  in  baskets  and  sell  at  home  and  in  near-by  towns,  receiving 
two  and  one-half  cents  cents  per  pound.  They  are  a  paying  crop,  and  would  ad- 
vise extensive  planting,  if  cultivated  well.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

E.  GAISER,  Lansing,  Leavenworth  county :  I  have  600  grape-vines  growing  on 
rich  soil,  having  a  southeastern  asject.  I  spray  them  four  times  a  year.  My 
varieties  are  Concord,  Elvira,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Niagara ;  have  tried  and  dis- 
carded Elvira,  because  it  tasted  green  ;  I  would  recommend  Concord,  Cynthiana, 
and  Delaware.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  8x8  feet.  Cultivate  with  a  dia- 
mond plow.  Prune  with  grape  shears  in  February ;  my  trellis  is  wire ;  I  never 
summer  prune;  I  don't  have  time.  Have  never  bagged  any  and  do  not  advise 
it,  as  I  think  it  too  much  work  for  the  benefit  derived.  Gather  the  grapes  in 
baskets  and  use  them  all  at  home ;  we  get  5000  pounds  per  acre.  I  do  not  con- 
sider them  a  paying  crop. 

DR.  J.  STAYMAN,  Leavenworth,  Leavenworth  county :  We  have  been  growing 
grapes  successfully  in  Kansas  for  the  last  forty  years,  having  had  a  previous 
knowledge  of  the  business,  as  my  father  planted  five  acres  of  vineyard  about 
eighty  years  ago,  when  grape  culture  was  in  its  infancy.  Any  kind  of  soil  that 
will  grow  wheat  or  corn  will  grow  grapes.  A  dry,  calcareous  soil  is  best.  It  is 
not  so  much  in  the  soil  as  in  the  location.  There  is  a  difference  of  twenty-five 
per  cent,  in  the  saccharine  matter  of  the  grape  on  the  same  kind  of  soil,  not  two 
two  miles  apart,  due  to  the  location.  This  makes  a  difference  of  twenty  five  per 
cent,  in  the  quality  of  the  grapes,  as  the  quality  depends  upon  the  amount  of 
sugar  the  grape  contains.  This  difference  is  one-half  pound  of  sugar  to  every 
fifteen  pounds  of  grapes.  A  gentle  eastern  or  southeastern  slope  is  the  most  de- 
sirable; but  it  is  not  so  much  in  the  slope  as  elevation  and  latitude  of  the  par- 
ticular vineyard.  High  hills  and  bluffs  above  valleys  and  ravines  are  much  the 
best.  The  value  of  hills  is  in  proportion  to  their  height  and  proximity  to  bluffs. 
We  have  tried  every  native  grape  of  apparent  value  yet  introduced,  besides 
numerous  hybrids,  crosses,  and  wild  varieties.  Over  200  and  more  were  dis- 
carded as  being  worthless  in  quality,  tender,  or  not  productive. 

Following  are  the  best:  Alaska,  Barry,  Beacon,  Brighton,  Catawba,  Cris- 
holm's  No.  9,  Concord,  Cynthiana,  Delaware,  Darwin,  Dearoba,  Diamond,  Dra- 
cut  Amber,  Eclipse,  Early  Victor,  Elvira,  Farrell,  Goethe,  Pock lington,  Green 
Mountain,  Herman,  Ideal,  Ives,  Jewel,  Magnate,  Marsala,  Mary  Mark,  Moore's 
Early,  Massasoit,  Niagara,  Norfolk,  Norton's  Virginia,  Osage,  Omego,  Ozark, 
Paragon,  Pawnee,  Primate,  Standard,  Supreme,  White  Beauty,  White  Imperial, 
Woodruff,  Worden.  I  would  recommend  the  Alaska,  the  finest  very  late  grape 
known,  hardy,  healthy,  and  very  productive;  large  bunch  and  berry.  Eclipse  — 
the  largest  white  and  best  in  quality,  but  not  very  compact  in  bunch.  Concord 
— one  of  the  most  reliable.  Diamond  — large  bunch  and  berry,  but  sometimes 
rots  badly ;  not  as  hardy  as  some  others.  Delaware — the  standard  of  excellence. 
Darwin  — seedling  of  Delaware,  equal  in  quality  but  larger  in  bunch  and  berry, 
and  a  stronger  grower.  Cynthiana  —  the  best  black  wine  grape  known.  Mag- 


60  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

nate  —  a  large  white  Concord,  better  in  quality  and  very  productive.  Moore's 
Early  — a  large,  early,  market  grape.  Ideal — the  finest  large  red  grape  known. 
Paragon  —  the  finest  black  grape  of  its  season.  Osage  — the  largest  black  grape 
we  have,  better  and  earlier  than  Concord.  Ozark — the  wonder  among  native 
grapes.  Supreme  —  earliest  black  grape  grown,  and  fine.  Herman  — the  best 
late  grape  for  white  wine.  Worden — about  like  Concord  but  a  few  days  earlier. 
White  Beauty —the  finest  white  grape  grown.  White  Imperial  —  an  improve- 
ment in  quality  over  the  above,  but  not  so  large  in  berry.  Marsala  —  the  besq. 
jelly  grape  except  Crisholm's  No.  9. 

This  list  has  been  thoroughly  tested  experimentally,  and  found  to  be  the  best 
and  most  valuable,  and  is  adapted  to  the  various  purposes  grapes  are  grown  for. 
I  plant  good,  strong  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  shorten  in  the  top  and  roots,  and 
set  not  over  eight- inches  deep,  either  in  the  fall  or  early  spring.  Set  all  strong 
growers,  like  the  Concord,  8x8  feet,  but  those  like  Delaware,  four  feet  apart 
in  the  row  and  the  rows  six  feet  apart.  We  plow  the  vineyard  in  the  spring, 
with  a  one-horse  turning  plow,  throwing  the  soil  from  the  vines,  and  in  a  short 
time  return  this  soil,  and  afterwards  cultivate  with  a  Planet  Jr.  cultivator 
throughout  the  season.  Hoe  under  the  vines  to  keep  the  ground  clear  of  weeds. 
The  vines  can  be  pruned  from  November  until  they  begin  to  bleed  in  the  spring, 
about  the  1st  or  15th  of  March,  owing  to  the  season.  We  prefer  February  and 
up  to  the  time  the  vines  do  not  bleed  as  the  best ;  if  it  is  done  in  the  fall  or  before 
hard  freezing  weather,  the  vines  will  be  more  or  less  injured  and  the  work  will 
have  to  be  practically  done  over.  If  vines  are  pruned  after  severe  winter  weather 
is  over,  we  can  leave  just  the  number  of  canes  and  length  needed  without  going 
over  them  the  second  time,  while  if  done  very  early  we  will  have  to  allow  for 
what  might  be  injured  by  the  cold  weather.  We  prune  on  the  renewal  system, 
starting  the  canes  about  a  foot  or  so  from  the  ground  from  a  spur  left  there  from 
renewal  canes  each  season  and  train  up  two  or  more  canes  each  season  for  bear- 
ing the  next.  These  bearing  canes  should  never  start  from  the  ground  as  suck- 
ers. In  other  words  the  suckers  should  be  removed  from  the  vines  as  soon  as- 
possible  and.  kept  off.  A  full-bearing  vine,  like  Concord,  may  be  pruned  with 
four  canes,  twenty  inches  long,  trained  on  a  trellis,  and  four  other  canes  to  be 
grown  from  spurs  to  fill  their  places  the  season  after,  and  so  continue  the  prun- 
ing year  after  year.  No  exact  rule  can  be  given,  for  upon  the  strength  of  the 
vines  depends  the  amount  of  wood  that  should  be  left  on  a  vine  in  pruning. 

I  have  a  three-wire  trellis  ;  train  the  bearing  wood  on  the  lower  two  wires  and 
the  new  wood  for  bearing  the  following  season  on  the  top  wire.  1  never  summe-r 
prune,  unless  it  is  to  prepare  a  bunch  for  exhibition.  It  is  an  injury  to  pinch  or 
summer  prune.  A  very  rampant  cane  may  be  pinched;  so  may  suckers  be 
pruned  off;  but  otherwise  the  less  the  better.  I  cut  the  bunches  of  grapes  from 
the  vines  with  a  knife  and  pack  in  about  eight-pound  baskets.  Market  in  Leav- 
enworth,  generally  receiving  one  and  one-half  to  two  cents  per  pound.  Some 
seasons  they  are  a  paying  crop,  but  others  they  realize  little  on  account  of  rot. 
They  are,  however,  as  good  a  paying  crop  as  any  other  fruit,  but  they  require 
care  to  keep  in  paying  condition.  It  requires  care,  labor  and  study  to  keep  a 
vineyard  as  it  should  be;  and  it  also  requires  experience  to  know  what  to  plant 
for  profit.  We  put  up  more  or  less  unfermented  grape  juice  every  year.  To 
properly  do  this,  the  grapes  should  be  fully  ripe  and  at  their  best,  all  imperfect 
and  diseased  berries  picked  off ;  then  run  them  through  a  mill  to  crush  the  ber- 
ries and  thus  press  out  the  juice  at  once.  Place  the  juice  in  a  vessel  and  let 
stand  about  eight  or  ten  hours  to  settle.  It  is  best  to  do  this  work  on  a  rather 
cold  day,  as  there  is  danger  of  the  grapes  starting  to  ferment  while  settling. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  61 

After  it  is  somewhat  settled  draw  off  as  clear  as  you  can  apd  put  it  in  a  kettle 
to  boil,  or  rather  bring  it  to  the  boiling-point  and  skim  off  any  scum  that 
arises.  Have  your  bottles  ready,  scalded  out  clean  and  standing  in  hot  water. 
As  soon  as  the  juice  commences  to  boil,  bottle  at  once  ;  fill  but  one  bottle  at  a 
time.  Cork  tightly  by  driving  in  good  velvet  corks,  and  seal.  If  this  is  done 
properly,  and  the  juice  placed  in  a  cellar  in  the  dark,  it  will  keep  for  years. 

J.  WEIDMAN,  Lincoln,  Lincoln  county:  Have  three  acres  of  grapes,  planted  on 
sandy  soil  with  a  clay  subsoil  having  a  west-northwest  slope  (would  prefer  an 
eastern  slope).  Would  recommend  Concord,  Elvira,  Worden,  Catawba,  Dracut 
Amber,  Noah,  Telegraph,  Early  Victor,  Missouri  Reieling,  Cythiana,  and  Cham- 
pion. Varieties  tested  experimentally  are  Niagara,  Goethe,  Northern  Muscadine, 
Perkins,  and  three  different  very  late  seedlings  of  my  own  which  are  very  fruit- 
ful and  thrifty.  Goethe  and  Niagara  are  not  hardy  here.  Plant  strong,  one- 
year-old  vines,  seven  feet  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  nine  feet  apart.  Cultivate 
with  stirring-plow  in  the  spring,  and  after  that  with  a  one-horse  cultivator;  use 
the  hoe  in  the  rows  twice  during  the  season.  Prune  in  April  [?],  or,  when  the 
weather  will  permit,  in  the  spring.  My  trellis  is  of  posts,  with  two  or  three  No. 
11  galvanized  wires.  I  prune  my  vines  during  the  summer  by  pinching  out  all 
canes  not  needed  for  next  year's  wood;  also  cut  or  pinch  off  near  the  last  bunch 
before  blooming — it  makes  the  fruit  perfect  and  easier  to  gather;  too  many 
leaves  smother  the  fruit  more  or  less.  Bagging  grapes  is  too  slow  work.  Market 
my  fruit  in  the  vineyard  and  in  near-by  towns.  I  get  about  three  tons  per  acre 
in  good  seasons.  They  are  a  paying  crop  when  taken  care  of,  as  they  sell  at 
three  cents  per  pound. 

MARTIN  Moss,  Lincoln,  Lincoln  county :  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grape-vines 
growing  on  sandy  soil.  I  prefer  a  northeast  elope.  Set  yearling  vines,  eight  feet 
apart.  Prune  in  February  to  one  bud  on  each  spur  of  the  main  canes ;  have 
never  summer  pruned,  but  think  it  would  be  beneficial.  I  use  posts  and  wires 
for  a  trellis.  Till  part  of  my  vines  with  a  small  one-horse  cultivator;  the  bal- 
ance of  them  I  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord  and  a  red  and  a  green  grape,  but 
discarded  the  latter  two,  as  they  were  poor  bearers.  I  would  recommend  Con- 
cord for  this  locality,  as  it  is  the  most  satisfactory.  Gather  my  grapes  carefully 
by  hand;  market  them  in  Lincoln  Center,  receiving  five  cents  per  pound  for  the 
first,  and  later  on  only  two  and  one-half  cents  per  pound.  They  are  not  profit- 
able at  present  prices,  excepting  for  home  use.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

WILLIAM  BAIRD,  Vesper,  Lincoln  county:  I  have  about  500  grape-vines  on 
black,  sandy  loam  creek  bottom  which  is  nearly  level;  they  are  Concord,  Elvira, 
Pocklington,  Schuylkill,  and  several  others.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Elvira, 
Schuylkill,  Clinton,  Pocklington,  Niagara,  and  Moore's  Early.  Plant  one-year- 
old  vines.  Cultivate  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator  and  one  horse.  Have  not 
bagged  grapes,  as  I  think  that  for  exhibition  purposes  only,  and  would  not  ad- 
vise it.  Cut  from  the  vines  with  a  sharp  knife  or  shears,  pack  in  five-  or  ten- 
pound  baskets,  and  market  at  home.  A  good  vine  will  yield  one  dollar's  worth 
of  grapes.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  I  have  put  up  unfermented  grape 
juice;  cook  in  porcelain  kettle,  squeeze  out  the  juice,  skim,  bottle  and  seal  up 
while  hot.  Cider  from  apples  can  be  treated  in  same  way.  The  grape  is  un- 
doubtedly adapted  to  this  soil  and  climate,  and  is  a  good  paying  crop  if  properly 
cared  for.  I  plant  my  grapes  eight  feet  apart  each  way.  Prune  after  the  Cali- 
fornia style ;  that  is,  run  them  up  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  high,  then  form  a 
head,  and  cut  back  each  year  to  two  or  three  buds,  owing  to  the  strength  of  the 
vine.  I  keep  them  staked  up  until  they  are  strong  enough  to  support  them- 


62  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

selves;  that  will  be  in  about  two  or  three  years.  I  trim  off  surplus  wood  after 
they  are  done  blooming  and  are  in  full  leaf  —  they  will  not  bleed  then  —  leaving 
just  enough  bearing  wood  to  hold  what  fruit  the  vines  will  support.  I  sometimes 
make  a  little  frame  around  the  base  of  the  vine  to  hold  the  grapes  up  off  of  the 
ground,  but  this  is  unnecessary  after  the  vines  are  three  or  four  years  old.  This 
is  the  best  style  for  this  windy  country;  they  are  handy  to  gather,  easy  to  culti- 
vate, and  they  look  well.  I  also  irrigate,  which  is  of  great  benefit  to  grapes  here. 

MARK  BOULWABE,  Blue  Mound,  Linn  county:  I  put  out  2000  Concord  grapes 
in  1869,  but  they  are  about  all  gone  now;  they  were  on  red,  mottled  soil;  I  think 
a  southeastern  elope  preferable;  set  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet;  prune  back  to 
two  or  three  buds  in  the  fall,  and  nip  them  back  during  the  summer  to  keep 
them  in  shape;  tie  my  vines  to  stakes;  cultivate  with  a  small,  spring-tooth  har- 
row and  a  hoe,  which  I  consider  the  best  tools  for  this  work ;  have  tried  Concord, 
Isabella,  and  Clinton;  have  discarded  the  latter  two,  because  they  drop  so  badly 
and  are  inferior  to  the  Concord ;  I  would  recommend  the  Concord  for  this  local- 
ity; gather  in  baskets  and  market  at  home;  I  used  to  receive  three  to  five  cents 
per  pound ;  it  did  not  pay  me,  and  therefore  would  not  advise  extensive  planting 
here ;  have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

J.  W.  LATIMER,  Pleasanton,  Linn  county:  I  have  about  two  acres  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  black  limestone  land.  Slope  makes  no  difference,  if  the  land  is 
well  drained.  Set  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet.  Prune  after  the  leaves 
drop  and  before  the  sap  starts  again ;  also  summer  prune  to  check  too  rank  a 
growth  of  the  strong  leaders.  Use  one  stake,  four  feet  high,  to  each  vine.  Give 
them  shallow  culture  with  a  plow,  if  not  mulched;  a  hoe  is  the  preferable  tool 
for  this  work.  I  do  not  mulch  my  vines,  but  it  is  highly  advantageous.  Have 
tried  Concord,  Clinton,  Elvira,  August  Giant,  ten  or  fifteen  of  Rogers's  hybrids, 
Worden,  Martha,  Pocklington,  Niagara,  Moore's  Early,  Taylor,  Champion,  Dela- 
ware, Ives,  Virginia  Seedling,  Jefferson,  Brighton,  Catawba,  Logan,  Northern 
Muscadine,  Dracut  Amber,  etc.  Have  discarded  all  excepting  Concord.  Moore's 
Early,  Worden,  and  Niagara  (if  you  want  a  white  variety),  because  they  did  not 
pay  for  the  expense  of  raising.  The  Concord  and  Moore's  Early  do  best  here. 
Gather  and  market  in  baskets,  but  they  are  not  a  paying  crop  excepting  for  home 
use.  I  would  not  advise  planting  extensively  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit 
to  protect  it.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  in  bottles,  the  same  as  we  can 
fruit.  My  experience  with  the  Worden  is  such  that  I  am  led  to  believe  that  I 
have  always  received  the  Concord;  if  not,  then  I  can  see  no  difference  in  vine  or 
berry:  therefore  I  leave  it  out  of  the  above  list. 

W.  M.  FLEHARTY,  La  Cygne,  Linn  county:  Set  my  vines  10x12  feet;  culti- 
vate with  a  small  diamond  plow;  prune  in  February,  leaving  two  or  three  buds; 
make  my  trellises  of  wire ;  sometimes  I  prune  a  little  in  summer  to  keep  the  vines 
in  shape;  have  never  bagged  grapes,  but  think  it  would  be  beneficial;  market  at 
home ;  I  think  them  a  valuable  crop  for  family  use ;  we  have  put  up  unfermented 
grape  juice ;  we  extract  the  juice,  boil,  and  can  it.  I  have  grown  vines  in  a  small 
way  for  the  last  thirty  years,  and  the  worst  enemy  I  have  to  contend  with  is  the 
grape-berry  moth.  I  find  that  grapes  with  a  very  thick  skin  succeed  best.  At 
this  date  (August  1)  the  Ives  is  free  from  defective  berries,  while  nearly  all  other 
varieties  I  have  are  badly  injured.  I  have  never  been  a  lover  of  the  Ives,  but  to- 
day every  cluster  is  perfect,  and  it  has  always  been  so,  but  its  flavor  is  not  as  fine 
as  some  others;  the  vine  is  a  rapid  grower;  it  revels  in  rich  soil,  and  never  in 
thirty  years  has  it  gone  back  on  me ;  it  makes  sound  berries  and  perfect  clusters. 
Concord,  Niagara  and  Moore's  Early  badly  damaged  by  moth ;  Delaware  not  so 
much. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  63 

J.  E.  DAVID,  Winona,  Logan  county:  I  have  no  grape-vines  now,  as  they  are 
all  dead  ;  were  planted  on  level  land,  but  I  think  a  southern  slope  preferable;  set 
two-year-old  vines,  four  feet  apart;  pruned  in  the  spring,  just  as  they  were  bud- 
ding out;  never  summer  prune;  used  a  frame  trellis;  till  with  a  cultivator  and 
hoe,  but  think  a  double-shovel  plow  and  a  hoe  the  best  implements  for  the  work 
in  this  locality :  I  did  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop,  and  would  not  advise  ex- 
tensive growing;  have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

THOMAS  CRAIG,  Americus,  Lyon  county:  Have  four  dozen  grapes,  of  seven 
varieties,  planted  on  second  bottom;  I  do  not  think  slope  makes  any  difference. 
Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart,  in  rows  ten  feet  apart.  Prune  in  Decem- 
ber by  cutting  back  to  two  or  three  buds;  also  summer  prune;  keep  all  sprouts 
rubbed  cff,  and  pinch  back  to  third  or  fourth  joint  from  bunch.  Use  a  trellis  of 
posts  and  wires.  Till  with  a  double- shovel  plow  until  the  1st  of  August;  think 
a  horse  hoe  the  best  tool  for  this  work ;  a  dust  mulch  is  very  beneficial,  and  then 
mulch  liberally  with  stable  litter  in  the  fall.  Have  tried  Concord,  Martha, 
Elvira,  Pocklington,  Missouri  Reisling,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and  Dracut 
Amber.  Planted  ten  more  varieties  this  spring;  they  are  the  latest  and  best. 
Among  them  are  Campbell's  Early,  Green's  Early  (both  new),  Moore's  Early, 
Worden,  Elvira,  Missouri  Reisling,  and  Pocklington ;  the  latter  is  good,  but 
a  poor  grower.  I  would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and  Moore's 
Diamond.  Gather  my  grapes  with  scissors  or  a  knife  into  baskets,  and  sell  at 
home  or  in  Emporia,  receiving  three  and  one-half  cents  per  pound  for  Moore's 
Early  and  two  cents  for  balance  of  crop.  They  pay,  because  they  are  the  surest 
crop  we  have ;  but  I  would  not  advise  planting  largely.  Have  never  bagged  my 
grapes,  but  think  it  a  good  plan  and  we  may  have  to  resort  to  it;  although  the 
market  is  so  far  away  and  express  charges  so  high  that  I  doubt  if  it  would  pay 
at  two  cents  per  pound  for  grapes. 

W.  WALTERS,  Emporia,  Lyon  county:  I  have  one  acre  of  grapes  planted  on 
second  bottom  of  the  Neosho  river;  my  varieties  are  Concord,  Worden,  Ives, 
Elvira,  Dracut  Amber;  have  discarded  Elvira,  as  it  is  unsalable.  I  would  rec- 
ommend Concord  and  Worden.  I  prefer  two-year  old  vines,  set  seven  by  ten 
feet ;  cultivate  first  with  a  stirring-plow,  then  with  a  cultivator  and  drag.  Prune 
my  vines  to  two  or  three  buds  in  February.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  three 
wires.  I  do  not  summer  prune.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes.  Gather  in 
baskets  and  sell  mostly  in  Emporia.  I  have  realized  $100  per  acre  from  them,  but 
my  vines  are  getting  old  now.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  I  have  put  up 
unfermented  grape  juice;  I  press  the  juice  out,  boil,  skim,  and  seal  in  quart 
bottles. 

DAN'L  C.  OVERLY,  Hartford,  Lyon  county:  I  have  100  grape-vines  growing  in 
black  loam.  I  prefer  sloping  land  on  account  of  drainage.  Set  one-year-old 
vines,  six  by  ten  feet.  I  prune  the  last  of  February  and  first  of  March,  when  the 
frost  is  out  of  the  vines,  by  cutting  back  to  two  buds.  I  use  posts  and  four  wires 
for  a  trellis.  I  plow  the  ground  in  the  spring  and  cultivate  after  each  rain ;  a 
cultivator  and  harrow  are  good  for  this  work.  Do  not  mulch.  I  never  summer 
prune,  as  it  is  a  bad  thing  to  cut  back  the  green  shoots.  Have  tried  Concord, 
Worden,  Moore's  Diamond,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Clinton,  and  Hartford. 
Have  discarded  Clinton,  Moore's  Early,  and  Hartford,  as  they  were  unprofitable. 
I  would  recommend  Worden,  Concord,  and  Moore's  Diamond,  for  this  locality. 
Gather  and  market  in  six- pound  baskets;  sell  them  in  Emporia,  receiving  two 
and  three  cents  per  pound.  I  do  not  consider  them  profitable,  and  would  not 
advise  extensive  planting  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  Thorough  culti- 


64  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

vation  and  spraying  make  fine  grapes,  and  those  who  do  n't  give  them  this  treat- 
ment have  very  few  grapes  which  are  not  poor  in  quality.  I  sell  from  fifteen  to 
thirty  dollars'  worth  per  year  from  my  vines. 

A.  D.  CHAMBERS,  Hartford,  Lyon  county :  Have  2000  vines  growing  on  upland 
sloping  to  bottom  land ;  one  vineyard  is  level,  the  other  slopes  to  the  south.  The 
varieties  are  Concord,  Early  Ohio,  Worden,  Catawba,  Clinton,  Niagara,  Martha, 
Delaware,  Dracut  Amber,  Muscadine,  etc.  Have  discarded  all  but  Concord, 
Dracut  Amber,  Worden  and  an  extra-early  grape ;  would  recommend  this  list. 
The  Concord  has  been  my  only  paying  grape.  Plant  No.  1  yearling  vines,  seven 
by  eight  or  eight  by  nine  feet.  Cultivate  with  a  plow;  generally  plant  early 
potatoes  and  corn  between  the  rows.  Prune  in  February  or  March  to  two  or 
three  buds;  summer  prune  but  not  thoroughly,  as  I  haven't  time.  I  have  used 
stakes  as  trellis,  but  wire  is  preferable.  Have  not  bagged  any,  as  they  are  too 
cheap  to  pay  for  the  work.  Gather  in  baskets,  half  bushel  and  less,  owing  to  the 
distance  they  are  to  go ;  prefer  small  packages.  Market  at  home ;  the  grapes  are 
fine  and  there  is  a  ready  sale  for  them;  realize  about  fifty  dollars  per  acre; 
counting  labor  and  expense  of  growing  grapes,  the  profit  is  about  the  same  as 
that  for  corn  or  potatoes. 

T.  W.  ALLISON,  Florence,  Marion  county:  I  have  about  250  grape-vines, 
planted  on  a  rich,  black  loam  having  a  deep  subsoil,  part  of  which  is  level  and 
part  on  a  southern  elope.  Varieties  tested  are  Concord  and  Worden.  Would 
recommend  both.  I  plant  yearling  and  two  year  old  vines,  eight  feet  each  way. 
Cultivate  very  shallow ;  keep  them  clean  of  weeds  all  the  time.  Prune  in  Feb- 
ruary or  March,  fan  system  ;  pruned  in  summer  three  years  ago,  but  it  did  not 
pay.  It  only  causes  laterals  to  grow  where  they  will  be  cut  away  in  the  winter 
pruning.  I  think  a  four-wire  fence  six  feet  high  makes  the  best  trellis.  I  bag 
grapes  for  late  home  use ;  it  pays  well  for  200  bags  and  time  ;  it  keeps  the  grapes 
nice  and  plump  till  frost.  Cut  grapes  with  common  shears ;  prefer  eight- pound 
baskets.  Market  at  Florence.  I  realized  in  1898  at  the  rate  of  over  $100  per 
acre.  Hail  killed  the  crop  of  1899.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  We  have 
put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  stew  the  grapes  and  press  out  the  juice,  heat  to 
boiling-point,  and  can  in  glass  jars,  air-tight.  We  have  plenty  of  water,  and  irri- 
gate our  vineyard  whenever  it  needs  it. 

J.  T.  MEIERDIRCKS,  Florence,  Marion  county:  Have  1000 grape-vines,  planted 
on  calcareous  loam  having  a  northern  slope.  I  set  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet. 
I  prune  on  the  Kniffin  system,  in  February ;  do  not  prune  during  summer,  ex- 
cepting where  the  green  shoots  interfere  with  the  cultivator.  My  trellis  is  two 
continuous  wires.  Till  frequently  with  a  two-horse  cultivator  followed  by  a 
weeder.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Niagara,  Delaware, 
Woodruff  Red,  and  Moyer.  Have  discarded  none,  but  the  Delaware  is  not  very 
thrifty.  The  Concord  and  Worden  do  best ;  would  recommend  these,  with  Elvira 
and  Green  Mountain,  for  this  locality.  Market  my  grapes  at  home,  realizing  two 
and  one-half  cents  per  pound ;  think  they  pay  fairly.  Our  market  would  not  war- 
rant planting  extensively.  I  think  every  one  ought  to  put  out  a  few  vines. 

JAMES  McNicoL,  Lost  Springs,  Marion  county:  Have  five  acres  of  grapes, 
planted  on  dark  limestone  soil  which  slopes  slightly  to  the  northeast.  Varieties 
tested  are:  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Elvira,  Brighton,  Early  Victor, 
Martha,  Empire  State,  Niagara,  Wyoming  Red,  and  Catawba.  Have  discarded 
Empire  State  and  Early  Victor.  Would  recommend  Worden,  Concord,  Wyom- 
ing Red,  Martha,  Niagara,  and  Brighton.  Have  tested  Campbell's  Early,  but  it 
is  not  up  to  expectations  yet.  Plant  one-year-old  vines,  8x9  feet.  Till  with  a 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  65 

one-  and  two-horse  cultivator.  Prune  by  cutting  back  to  Jwo  eyes;  never  sum- 
mer prune.  Prices  will  not  warrant  bagging  grapes.  I  prefer  eight-pound  bas- 
kets; market  at  home  and  at  Lost  Springs.  I  realize  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty-five  dollars  per  acre.  They  are  a  paying  crop. 

STEPHEN  STOUT,  Axtell,  Marshall  county:  I  am  raising  Concord  grapes  for 
family  use  only,  and  am  succeeding  very  well;  our  soil  is  a  very  fine,  black  loam ; 
subsoil,  porous  clay  that  holds  water  well.  My  neighbors'  bees  have  troubled 
me  very  much;  they  suck  out  the  juice,  leaving  the  skin  and  pulp;  hence  the 
cheese-cloth  experience  gives  good  results.  I  can  keep  the  cloth  from  year  to 
year,  with  care.  I  set  my  vines  six  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  a  six- tooth  cultiva- 
tor; prune  in  March,  when  not  frozen ;  in  the  summer  I  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the 
vines,  as  it  gives  more  strength  to  the  fruit.  My  trellis  is  made  of  two-inch  slats 
nailed  to  posts.  I  never  bag  grapes,  but  instead  put  cheese-cloth  over  the  vines, 
with  a  stone  in  each  corner  to  hold  it  down ;  this  keeps  bees  and  insects  off. 

C.  E.  DICKEY,  Irving,  Marshall  county:  I  have  sixty  grape-vines  growing  on 
level,  black  loam;  they  are  Concord,  Worden,  and  Salem.  I  would  recommend 
these  varieties,  but  the  Salem  needs  protection  in  winter.  I  plant  two-year-old 
vines,  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  shallow  in  the  spring,  and  mulch  the  1st  of 
July;  prune  in  February;  never  summer  prune;  the  sun  scalds  the  fruit  if 
pruned  during  warm  weather;  have  never  tried  bagging.  I  put  up  unfermented 
grape  juice;  my  process  is  to  scald  and  press  the  pulp,  and  then  strain,  and  can 
in  glass,  as  we  do  fruit. 

JAMES  M.  WILLIAMS,  Home,  Marshall  county:  I  have  300  grape-vines  growing 
on  black  loam  underlaid  with  limestone  which  slopes  to  the  southeast.  My  va- 
rieties are  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Hartford  Prolific,  Newton,  Pocklington,  and 
Niagara;  all  of  them  excepting  the  Concord  and  Moore's  Early  winter-killed. 
These  two  varieties  I  would  recommend.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  six  to 
eight  feet.  The  first  year  I  plant  corn  between  the  rows  as  a  shade ;  the  second 
year  I  plant  potatoes  and  cultivate  well;  prune  in  the  fall.  My  trellis  is  three 
wires  stapled  to  posts.  I  do  not  bag  my  grapes,  and  know  nothing  about  it.  I 
cut  the  grapes  from  the  vine  with  a  sharp  knife,  and  place  in  baskets ;  sell  to  the 
neighbors  and  in  town  of  Home,  receiving  from  two  and  one-half  to  five  cents  per 
pound.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  In  the  winter  of  1898-'99  the  vines 
were  all  winter-killed,  so  that  the  crop  of  1899  was  a  failure;  about  May  1,  1899, 
we  were  satisfied  that  the  vines  were  killed,  so  we  cut  them  off.  The  Moore's 
Early  and  Concord  sprouted  up  and  made  a  vigorous  growth,  and  are  bearing 
full  this  summer  [1900],  but  not  one  of  the  other  varieties  ever  started.  A  neigh- 
bor of  mine  has  a  vineyard  of  1000  grapes,  nearly  all  Concord;  they  were  winter- 
killed ;  some  of  them  he  cut  back,  others  he  left.  Those  that  he  pruned  sprouted 
and  made  a  good  growth,  but  those  that  were  left  never  sprouted,  and  that  is  the 
case  with  all  I  have  talked  with. 

CHARLES  FERN,  Lindsborg,  McPherson  county:  I  have  a  few  grape-vines 
growing  on  clay  subsoil.  An  eastern  slope  is  better  than  a  northern,  but  slope 
makes  no  difference  if  the  ground  is  well  drained.  Plant  either  one-  or  two-year- 
old  vines,  eight  by  nine  feet ;  prune  and  tie  them  to  the  trellis,  which  is  common 
posts  and  wires,  early  in  March.  Cultivate  with  a  one-horse  Planet  Jr.  hoe;  a 
five-toothed  hoe,  with  the  fifth  hoe  behind,  is  the  best  implement.  I  have 
mulched,  but  it  draws  the  roots  to  the  surface,  and  then  when  the  winds  blow 
the  mulching  off  they  winter-kill.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Moore's  Early. 
Have  discarded  the  latter,  as  it  was  not  satisfactory.  I  would  recommend  the 
—5 


66  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

former,  as  it  does  well  here.  They  are  a  paying  crop  for  home  use,  but  would  not 
advise  extensive  planting  in  this  locality.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  We  put 
up  unfermented  grape  juice ;  sweeten  it,  and  seal  tightly  in  jugs. 

FRANK  HUSTON,  McPherson,  McPherson  county:  I  have  one-half  acre  of 
grape-vines  growing  on  prairie  upland.  I  think  slope  makes  a  difference;  I 
would  prefer  an  eastern,  so  as  to  receive  the  morning  sun,  and  as  a  protection 
from  the  hot  afternoon  sun.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  I  prune 
during  the  fall  on  the  spur  system,  leaving  two  arms;  also  summer  prune,  if  the 
season  is  wet.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  three  wires ;  I  tie  all  vines  to  the 
lower  wire ;  the  young  shoots  tie  themselves  to  the  upper  wires.  Cultivate  with 
a  one-horse  plow ;  a  five-tooth  cultivator  and  hoe  are  best  for  this  work.  I  do  not 
mulch,  as  it  causes  the  roots  to  grow  too  near  the  surface.  Have  tried  Concord, 
Worden,  Delaware,  Pocklington,  Brighton,  and  Agawam.  Have  discarded  as 
unprofitable  all  but  Concord  and  Worden.  The  Concord,  Worden  and  Salem 
do  best  here;  I  would  recommend  the  former  two  for  commercial  purposes,  and 
add  Delaware,  Pocklington,  Salem  and  Agawam  for  family  use.  I  receive  three 
cents  per  pound  for  my  grapes;  but  they  do  not  pay,  in  this  locality,  on  account 
of  birds,  and  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  never  sacked  the 
fruit,  but  shall  either  do  this  or  use  a  shot-gun  this  season.  We  have  put  up 
unfermented  grape  juice;  boil  and  can  it,  the  same  as  fruit. 

MRS.  G.  O.  VICK,  Fowler,  Meade  county :  We  have  250  grape-vines  growing 
on  sandy  loam;  they  are  Concord,  Agawam,  Delaware,  Goethe,  and  Moore.  I 
would  recommend  all  this  list  excepting  the  Agawam.  Prefer  one-year-old  vines, 
set  eight  to  ten  feet  apart.  Do  not  cultivate  much.  Prune  from  December 
until  February.  We  use  wire  for  a  trellis.  We  summer  prune  a  little,  because 
we  think  it  best  to  cut  off  the  surplus  growth.  Never  bag  them.  Gather  them 
in  baskets  and  market  at  home.  They  would  pay  well  if  cared  for  properly. 

B.  F.  Cox,  Meade,  Meade  county  :  I  have  about  200  grape-vines  growing  on 
black  loam  having  a  clay  subsoil.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  twelve  feet  apart. 
Use  a  six-foot  trellis  having  four  wires.  Do  not  mulch.  Prune  during  January, 
and  in  the  summer  I  leave  only  two  bunches  and  a  bunch  of  two  leaves  above 
the  fruit.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Elvira.  I  would  recommend  the  Concord 
for  this  locality,  as  it  is  the  most  satisfactory.  Use  the  fruit  at  home,  and  think 
it  pays,  but  would  not  advise  planting  extensively.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

R.  H.  CADWALEADER,  Louisburg,  Miami  county:  I  would  set  one-year-old 
vines,  eight  by  eight  feet,  on  a  northern  slope,  as  I  think  this  best.  Prune  in 
February,  and  pinch  back  during  the  summer;  my  trellis  is  post  and  wire.  Till 
with  a  Planet  Jr.  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Elvira,  and 
Moore's  Early ;  the  former  and  latter  do  best  with  me,  and  I  would  recommend 
the  same  for  this  locality.  Gather  and  market  in  baskets.  They  would  pay  if 
handled  properly.  Would  not  advise  planting  extensively  here.  Have  bagged 
my  grapes,  but  it  does  not  pay. 

D.  M.  MARTIN,  Osawatomie,  Miami  county:  I  have  about  100  grape-vines 
planted  on  white-clay  or  ash  land  which  slopes  slightly;  a  western  slope  is 
preferable.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  if  well  rooted,  set  ten  feet  apart.  Prune 
in  February,  quite  severely ;  also  pinch  off  the  ends  of  the  longest  growth  during 
summer.  I  desire  good,  stout  posts,  standing  six  feet  above  the  ground,  set  half 
way  between  the  vines,  with  two  wires.  Have  tried  only  Concord ;  they  do  best 
all  around  here.  Have  never  marketed  any;  use  all  at  home.  Any  fruit  pays 
that  gives  the  family  satisfaction.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  67* 

P.  B.  STOUT,  Paola,  Miami  county:  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grape-vines, 
planted  on  sandstone  land ;  a  southern  slope  is  preferable.  Set  two-year-old 
vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  on  the  arm  system,  in  February.  For  a  trellis  I 
use  a  stake  four  feet  out  of  the  ground,  and  a  single  wire  on  top.  I  mulch  the 
vines.  Have  tried  Concord,  Clinton,  Catawba,  Dracut  Amber,  Pocklington, 
Niagara,  and  several  others;  have  discarded  all  but  Concord,  which  I  would 
recommend  for  this  locality.  Gather  in  baskets  and  sell  in  the  home  market,  re- 
ceiving from  three  to  four  cents  per  pound.  They  are  profitable,  but  I  would 
not  advise  extensive  planting.  I  sack  the  fruit  and  find  it  pays,  as  the  bunches 
grow  larger  and  sweeter,  and  we  receive  one  cent  more  per  pound. 

W.  R.  STOCKARD,  Beloit,  Mitchell  county:  Have  200  grape-vines,  planted  on 
a  northeast  and  southwest  slope.  Have  tested  Ives,  Concord,  Niagara,  and 
others,  and  have  discarded  all  but  Concord  and  Niagara,  which  I  recommend; 
have  tested  Clinton,  Delaware,  Dracut  Amber,  Hartford,  Worden,  and  Wilder, 
experimentally,  but  the  vines  were  not  hardy,  and  winter-killed.  I  set  vines 
that  are  from  one  to  two  years  old,  eight  by  twelve  feet.  I  till  with  a  cul- 
tivator and  then  top-dress  with  barn-yard  litter.  Prune  in  February;  do  not 
summer  prune,  but  keep  the  leaves  to  shade  the  grapes.  My  trellis  is  posts  and 
wire.  Have  not  bagged  grapes;  have  never  tried  it.  Market  them  at  home; 
think  they  are  healthful ;  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  I  am  a  prohibitionist 
and  do  not  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice ;  I  live  in  Kansas. 

J.  T.  BARNES,  Beloit,  Mitchell  county  :  Had  one  and  one-third  acres  of  grapes, 
but  lost  one-fourth  of  an  acre  with  mildew.  They  are  planted  on  a  low,  sandy- 
loam  bottom  having  an  east  aspect.  My  varieties  are:  Arminta,  Concord,  Ni- 
agara, Wilder,  Herbert,  Early  Victor,  Woodruff  Red,  Wyoming,  Moore's  Early, 
Worden,  Delaware,  Elvira,  Green  Mountain,  and  Perkins.  Have  discarded  Ca- 
tawba, Pocklington,  Arminta,  and  Green  Mountain.  Would  recommend  Con- 
cord, Niagara,  Wilder,  Herbert,  Early  Victor,  Worden,  and  Delaware.  Have 
experimentally  tried  Catawba,  Pocklington,  Eaton,  Early  Ohio,  Lady  Washing- 
ton, Lutie,  Martha,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Telegraph,  but  had  very  poor  success 
with  these.  They  winter-killed  in  two  or  three  years.  I  plant  No.  1  year- 
ling vines,  twelve  feet  apart,  in  rows  nine  feet  apart  —  wide  give  better  results. 
Cultivate  with  Planet  Jr.  horse  hoe;  use  sweeps;  stir  the  ground  two  to  three 
inches  deep,  and  cultivate  ten  to  twelve  times  every  season.  Prune  in  February. 
Do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  think  it  is  too  much  work,  and  does  not  pay.  My 
trellis  is  made  of  four  wires  and  posts.  I  have  bagged  grapes,  and  would  advise 
it  if  done  before  the  hot  weather  sets  in,  as  it  keeps  the  grapes  cool,  and  protects 
from  birds  and  insects.  Cut  the  bunches  with  shears  and  pack  in  eight-pound 
baskets.  Market  at  home.  When  the  crop  is  full  I  realize  about  $100  per  acre. 
I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice.  When 
canning  grapes  we  pour  off  the  surplus  juice,  and  seal  in  bottles  while  hot.  I  find 
that,  on  the  lowest  ground  I  have,  the  Concord  are  very  susceptible  to  mildew; 
the  Victor  but  little.  The  Niagara,  Herbert  and  Wilder  resist  mildew  well. 
The  Arminta  and  Perkins  suffer  frcm  mildew  when  planted  on  low  ground. 
This  season  Concord,  Niagara,  Early  Victor,  Perkins,  Elvira,  Delaware  and 
Moore's  Early  are  loaded  with  fine,  large  clusters,  and  with  good  rains  from  now 
on  the  crop  promises  to  be  a  large  one.  The  vines  range  in  growth  from  fifteen 
to  thirty  feet.  I  trim  on  the  renewal  system,  as  I  get  better  results  than  from 
the  spur  system,  and  find  that  my  rows  that  are  set  ten  feet  apart,  with  vines 
ten  to  twelve  feet  in  the  rows,  produce  the  heaviest  crops.  The  Niagara  and. 
Early  Victor  are  superb  bearers. 


68  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

SAMUEL  L.  DETWILER,  Glen  Elder,  Mitchell  county :  Have  one  dozen  grape- 
vines, planted  on  sandy  loam.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  Prune,  in  No- 
vember, by  cutting  back  to  two  buds;  also  pinch  the  green  shoots  back  during 
summer.  I  have- a  wire  trellis.  I  keep  the  weeds  down  with  a  cultivator  and 
hoe.  Mulching  is  detrimental.  Concord  does  best  with  us..  Have  never  had 
enough  to  market.  Would  not  advise  planting  largely.  Have  never  sacked  the 
fruit. 

NOAH  E.  BOUTON,  Cherryvale,  Montgomery  county :  I  have  100  grape-vines, 
planted  some  on  mulatto  and  some  on  light  soil.  I  prefer  an  eastern  slope,  as  I 
think  slope  makes  considerable  difference.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet 
apart.  Prune  close,  in  February.  My  trellis  is  posts  and  wires.  Till  them  with  a 
double- shovel  plow  or  cultivator ;  I  think  the  double-shovel  plow  best.  I  mulch  my 
vines  ;  the  more  the  better,  so  you  do  n't  get  too  close.  Have  tried  Concord  and 
Isabella;  have  discarded  the  latter  on  account  of  shy  bearing ;  would  recommend 
the  Concord,  as  it  does  best  with  us.  Pick  my  grapes,  and  market  in  Cherryvale 
and  with  neighbors,  receiving  from  three  to  five  cents  per  pound.  I  consider 
them  a  paying  crop,  and  would  advise  planting  extensively.  Have  never  sacked 
the  fruit.  I  think  the  Concord  grape  could  be  raised  with  profit,  because  they 
bear  nearly  every  year  in  this  locality;  rot  is  the  only  drawback;  but  I  think 
that  is  caused  largely  by  neglect  in  pruning  — allowing  too  much  shade  for  the 
fruit. 

P.  C.  BOWEN,  Cherryvale,  Montgomery  county:  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grapes 
in  bearing,  planted  on  dark,  sandy  loam.  I  prefer  a  northern  slope.  Set  two- 
year-old  vines,  generally  8x10  feet,  but  the  variety  has  much  to  do  with  the 
distance  apart.  Prune  in  the  fall ;  cut  back  to  one  or  two  buds  on  each  cane. 
Also  prune  during  summer,  to  give  plenty  of  sun  and  light.  Use  a  wire  trellis 
nailed  to  posts.  Cultivate  four  to  six  inches  deep,  with  a  Planet  Jr.  horse  hoe 
and  a  hand  hoe,  which  I  consider  the  best  tools  for  this  work.  Do  not  mulch 
my  vines,  excepting  with  soil.  Have  tried  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Dracut  Am- 
ber, Delaware,  Agawam,  Telegraph,  Norton's  Virginia,  and  several  others;  have 
discarded  all  but  the  three  first  named.  They  were  not  hardy,  were  unprolific, 
and  unprofitable  for  either  home  or  market.  The  varieties  that  do  best  here  are 
Concord,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Moore's  Early;  I  would  recommend  these  three,  in 
the  order  named.  Gather  the  fruit  in  eight-pound  baskets,  and  market  in 
Cherryvale  and  other  Western  towns;  they  pay  better  than  apples  or  peaches. 
But  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit;  I 
«pray  early  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  to  prevent  rot,  and  find  it  pays.  We  put  up 
a  little  unfermented  grape  juice ;  boil  down  one- third,  and  bottle ;  keep  in  a  cool 
place. 

JACOB  GOOD,  Coffejville,  Montgomery  county:  I  have  three  acres  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  limestone  land.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  six  to  eight  feet  apart. 
Prune,  early  in  February,  to  two  buds.  I  find  a  trellis  the  best  means  of  keep- 
ing the  vines  up.  Till  them  with  a  five-toothed  plow  and  harrow.  Do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Pocklington,  Martha,  Elvira,  Ives, 
Moore's  Diamond,  and  Clinton.  Have  discarded  Clinton,  Martha,  Elvira,  and 
Ives,  as  they  seem  unadapted  to  this  climate,  and  are  unprofitable.  Those  that 
do  best  here,  and  which  I  would  recommend,  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Pock- 
lington, Niagara,  and  Moore's  Diamond.  Gather  in  baskets  and  sell  in  local 
market,  receiving  four  cents  per  pound  for  Moore's  Early,  and  two  cents  per 
pound  for  Concord  and  Niagara.  They  pay  fairly  well,  but  I  would  not  advise 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  69 

extensive  planting  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  4  have  put  up  unfer- 
mented  grape  juice ;  first  press  out  the  juice,  then  heat  and  seal,  in  pint  and  quart 
bottles. 

J.  C.  Ross,  Havana,  Montgomery  county:  I  have  400  grape-vines  growing 
on  sandy  loam.  They  are  Concords.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet 
apart.  Cultivate  with  the  hoe,  and  then  mulch.  Prune  in  February.  My 
trellis  is  made  of  smooth  wire.  I  summer  prune  my  vines  by  pinching,  as  I 
think  the  yield  greater.  Have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  and  would  not  advise  it. 
Gather  in  small  baskets,  and  market  in  our  home  town.  I  realize  from  50  to 
200  baskets  per  acre.  They  are  a  paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape- 
juice;  I  use  the  cider-mill  to  press  the  juice  out.  This  is  a  good  grape  county, 

F.  L.  KENOYER,  Independence,  Montgomery  county  :  I  have  500  vines  on  rich, 
sandy  loam,  with  a  southern  slope.  My  varieties  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord, 
Martha,  Worden,  Dracut  Amber,  Niagara,  and  Clinton.  The  Clinton  rots  badly 
and  is  a  poor  market  grape;  Moore's  Early  is  most  profitable;  Worden  usually 
ripens  too  unevenly ;  otherwise  it  is  better  than  Concord ;  Niagara  and  Martha 
are  profitable  for  home  market.  I  prefer  one-  and  two-year  old  vines,  set  in  rows 
nine  feet  apart;  plants  eight  feet  apart  in  the  row.  Cultivate  by  breaking  shal- 
low each  spring  with  a  stubble  plow,  and  cultivate  through  the  summer  with 
Planet  Jr.  twelve- tooth  cultivator.  This  keeps  the  roots  below  the  surface. 
Prune  during  the  winter,  removing  all  weak  canes,  and  cutting  laterals  back  to* 
four  or  five  buds.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  two  wires.  I  do  not  summer  prune,, 
as  it  interferes  with  the  formation  of  canes  for  the  next  year's  crop.  Every  bud 
or  leaf  removed  from  a  vine  in  summer  produces  a  shock  which  interferes  with 
the  proper  development  of  its  fruit.  I  have  never  bagged  my  grapes,  but  am 
satisfied  it  would  pay  well  in  protecting  them  from  fungous  diseases  and  length- 
ening the  ripening  period.  I  gather  my  grapes  by  cutting  the  bunches  with 
pruning  shears  and  remove  all  defective  berries,  and  market  at  home  in  five- 
pound  baskets.  I  realize  about  twenty  five  cents  per  vine,  and  consider  them  a 
good,  paying  crop. 

W.  H.  ROBINSON,  Dunlap,  Morris  county :  I  have  100  grape-vines,  planted  on 
rich  bottom  land;  they  are  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Martha^ 
will  discard  Martha,  because  of  tenderness;  would  recommend  Worden  and  Con- 
cord. Prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  a  five- tooth 
cultivator ;  prune  during  early  winter ;  do  not  summer  prune,  but  believe  it  would 
pay.  My  trellis  is  made  of  poles.  Do  not  bag  the  fruit.  Cut  from  the  vines 
with  a  knife;  market  at  home.  I  consider  them  profitable. 

JOHN  E.  SAMPLE,  Beman,  Morris  county:  I  have  2500  grape-vines  growing 
on  black  loam  sloping  to  the  southeast.  They  were  bought  for  Concord,  but  are 
a  far  better  black  grape;  I  call  them  "Care's  Fraud."  I  would  recommend  this 
grape,  as  I  have  had  them  fifteen  years,  and  they  have  never  missed  a  crop^ 
thirty  pounds  of  them  make  five  quarts  of  juice.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set 
twelve  feet  apart;  mine  are  eight  feet;  till  shallow,  with  a  cultivator;  prune  in 
February  and  March,  leaving  three  buds:  I  never  summer  prune,  but  think  it 
would  pay  and  make  larger  grapes.  My  trellis  is  wire.  Never  bag  my  grapes,, 
and  think  it  would  pay  only  for  market.  Cut  with  shears,  and  pack  in  twenty- 
five-pound  crates;  sell  at  Council  Grove  and  in  the  country,  realizing  three  cents 
per  pound  for  them ;  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 

JAMES  SHARP,  Parkerville,  Morris  county:  Have  three  acres  of  vineyard 
growing  on  black  surface  soil  with  a  porous  red- clay  subsoil,  sloping  to  the  east* 


70  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Varieties  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Worden,  Ives,  Telegraph,  Pocklington, 
Niagara,  Martha,  Elvira,  and  Rogers's  hybrids;  have  discarded  Rogers's  hy- 
brids, as  they  are  not  hardy.  Would  recommend  Worden,  Concord,  Niagara, 
Pocklington,  and  Moore's  Early.  Have  experimentally  tried  Janes ville,  with 
which  I  had  no  success.  Set  vines  seven  feet,  in  rows  eight-  feet  apart.  Culti- 
vate with  plow  and  hoe.  Prune  in  spring;  have  not  found  it  profitable  to  sum- 
mer prune.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  two  smooth  wires  and  one  barbed 
wire.  Have  not  bagged  the  fruit;  think  it  not  necessary.  Use  a  knife  and 
shears  to  clip  the  bunches  from  the  vines ;  pack  in  baskets  and  market  in  near- 
by towns,  receiving  from  two  to  four  cents  per  pound ;  they  are  a  paying  crop. 

JOHN  A.  GORDON,  Viroqua,  Morton  county :  I  tried  a  dozen  Concord  grape-vines 
on  sandy  soil,  eight  or  ten  years  ago,  but  drought  and  grasshoppers  killed  them  in 
five  or  six  years;  we  had  a  few  bunches  of  fruit  the  third  year.  I  think  a  row 
of  Russian  mulberries  which  overshadowed  them  helped  kill  them,  as  they  kept 
the  ground  too  moist.  [??]  I  am  going  to  try  them  again  as  soon  as  we  have 
storage  reservoirs  from  our  wells,  which  are  150  feet  deep. 

L.  G.  MORGAN,  Richfield,  Morton  county:  I  have  very  few  vines;  they  are 
planted  on  level  sandy  loam.  Set  them  ten  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  a  hoe. 
Do  not  prune.  My  trellis  is  of  1  x  4-inch  boards.  Do  not  bag  them,  and 
would  not  advise  it,  as  I  do  not  think  it  necessary.  Cut  the  grapes  from  the 
vine  with  a  knife.  I  consider  them  a  good,  paying  crop.  They  are  hard  to  get 
started  here,  but  after  they  do  start  they  grow  well,  and  bear  good  crops.  I  do 
not  know  the  name  of  the  variety  I  am  growing,  but  it  does  well  and  has  abun- 
dant crops.  I  irrigate  my  grapes  with  the  suds  from  the  washing-machine. 

A.  OBERNDORF,  JR.,  Centralia,  Nemaha  county:  Have  eleven  acres  of  grapes, 
planted  on  an  eastern  slope.  They  are  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Early 
Victor,  Ives,  Telegraph,  Dracut  Amber,  Cottage;  have  discarded  all  these  ex- 
cepting Concord;  some  winter-kill;  others  don't  do  well.  Would  recommend 
Concord.  If  I  was  planting  another  vineyard  in  Kansas,  I  should  plant  only 
Rogers's  hybrids,  and  cover  them  every  winter.  These  do  well  here,  and  bring 
double  the  price  of  the  Concords.  I  have  a  few  Agawam  which  I  planted  twenty 
years  ago;  they  have  never  failed,  always  produce  well,  and  seem  as  hardy  as 
when  they  first  came  into  bearing.  These  I  would  bag.  Have  tried  about 
thirty  varieties  experimentally,  but  had  poor  success  with  them  unless  they  were 
covered  in  winter.  I  planted  one-year-old  vines  when  setting  the  vineyard,  but 
used  two-year-old  when  resetting  and  when  planting  experimentally.  Set  them 
eight  feet  apart.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  harrow.  Prune  on  fan  system,  after  the 
leaves  have  fallen ;  do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  cannot  see  any  benefit  in  it.  I 
think  a  three-wire  trellis  is  best.  Bag  only  for  home  use,  as  it  is  too  much 
trouble.  Gather  in  ten-  or  twenty-pound  baskets,  but  prefer  eight-pound  baskets. 
Market  at  home,  Kansas  City,  and  west  of  here.  I  consider  them  a  fairly  paying 
crop.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  for  home  use.  Heat  the  juice  to  170 
degrees,  then  bottle,  and  surround  the  cork  with  paraffin  wax;  and  when  we  get 
ready  to  use  it  half  of  it  is  usually  gone. 

O.  K.  WILCOE,  Corning,  Nemaha  county :  I  have  fifty  grape-vines  growing  on 
a  southern  slope ;  they  are  Concord.  Would  recommend  Concord,  as  it  is  pro- 
ductive and  hardy.  I  prefer  vigorous  one-year-old  vines,  set  twelve  feet  each 
way;  cultivate  first  year,  then  mulch  ;  prune  back  to  one  or  two  stalks  in  spring, 
to  force  the  fruit.  Never  bag  them  ;  it  does  not  pay  for  home  use.  They  are  a 
paying  crop  if  cared  for. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  71 

H.  C.  RIGGS,  Wetmore,  Nemaha  county  :  I  have  about  ope  acre  of  grape-vines, 
planted  on  sandy,  gravelly  soil  having  a  western  slope;  the  varieties  are  Moore's 
Early  and  Concord.  Concord  is  best.  I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  6x10  feet. 
Cultivate  with  a  one-horse,  five-toothed  cultivator  and  a  double-shovel  plow. 
Prune  thoroughly,  in  February,  before  the  sap  starts;  do  some  summer  pruning, 
to  avoid  excess  of  vine.  My  trellis  is  two  or  three  wires  and  posts.  Never  bagged 
grapes.  Cut  from  the  vines  with  shears.  I  have  not  sold  any,  as  this  is  my  first 
good  crop.  I  consider  them  a  good- pay  ing  crop.  My  grapes  have  done  well  this 
year.  I  cultivate  in  the  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ground  will  work  good,  with  a 
double-shovel  plow,  being  careful  when  next  to  the  row  not  to  go  too  deep;  then 
once  a  week  afterwards,  with  a  five-toothed  cultivator,  until  August,  or  later  if 
weeds  grow  badly,  using  a  hoe  to  clean  out  all  weeds  and  grass  in  the  rows.  I 
prune  all  excessive  laterals  and  unfruitful  vines,  being  careful  to  have  a  good  shade 
over  the  fruit.  My  early  grapes  show  signs  of  blighting,  as  they  did  last  year. 
I  went  in  with  the  shears  last  week  [July  23],  and  pruned  very  severely,  cutting 
many  vines  within  six  inches  of  the  clusters;  they  seem  to  be  recovering  vigor, 
and  promise  to  ripen  up  well. 

W.  W.  GARDINER,  Chanute,  Neosho  county:  I  have  twenty-four  grape-vines 
—  the  Concord  and  one  other  variety.  I  prefer  two-year-old  ,vines,  set  seven  feet 
each  way.  Cultivate  with  a  hand  cultivator,  but  would  use  a  horse  if  I  had 
many  vines.  My  trellis  is  made  of  hedge  posts,  with  poles  nailed  on  for  the  vines 
to  cling  to.  I  never  summer  prune,  because  I  want  long  vines,  and  cannot  see 
well  when  the  leaves  are  on.  I  think  them  a  good,  paying  crop,  and  that  more 
money  can  be  made  from  them  than  from  any  other  fruit  we  raise  in  Kansas,  if  a 
market  can  be  found  for  them. 

O.  M.  RECORD,  Thayer,  Neosho  county:  My  grape-vines  are  planted  on  sandy 
loam  having  a  southeast  slope.  My  varieties  are  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
Brighton,  Telegraph,  Ives,  Dracut  Amber,  and  several  other  varieties  that  I  do 
not  remember  the  names  of.  Discarded  Telegraph  because  it  rots  badly; 
Brighton,  because  of  shy  bearing;  would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
Ives,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Niagara.  Others  not  yet  in  bearing  are  Worden, 
Goethe,  and  Cynthiana.  Plant  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Cul- 
tivate with  one-  and  two- horse  cultivator  and  hoe.  Prune  from  December  to 
February';  also  in  summer,  because  it  makes  finer  bunches.  My  trellis  has  two 
wires,  one  three  and  the  other  five  feet  from  the  ground;  have  some  tied  to 
single  stakes.  I  bag  my  grapes,  partly  to  preserve  nice  specimens  for  our  county 
fair,  and  have  taken  the  premiums  five  years  out  of  six.  I  sometimes  use  a  paper 
meal  sack  and  enclose  a  whole  branch  that  has  several  bunches,  but  would  not 
advise  it  on  a  large  scale ;  bagged  grapes  will  often  keep  perfectly  on  the  vines 
until  November. 

G.  SCHMOKER,  Urbana,  Neosho  county:  I  have  150  grape-vines,  planted 
on  poor  land,  underlaid  with  hard-pan.  Plant  one-year-old  vines,  eight  feet 
each  way.  Prune  the  last  week  in  February  and  first  two  weeks  in  March;  also 
prune  two  or  three  times  during  summer.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts,  sixteen 
feet  apart,  and  three  wires.  Cultivate  with  a  double-shovel  plow,  five  or  six 
times  a  season ;  this  implement,  or  any  one-horse  cultivator,  is  good  if  the  ground 
is  not  weedy  and  is  in  good  shape.  I  do  not  mulch ;  do  not  think  it  would  be 
beneficial  more  than  one  or  two  years.  I  have  tried  only  Concord,  and  .think  it 
best  for  this  locality.  Have  marketed  none;  use  all  at  home.  I  would  not  ad- 
vise extensive  planting.  Have  not  sacked  the  fruit,  as  it  has  not  been  troubled 
much  with  anything  so  far.  Grapes  do  well  here;  all  they  need  is  constant 


72  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

shallow  cultivation,  so  they  will  not  suffer  during  the  dry  spell  which  we  always 
have  at  ripening  time.  I  would  not  advise  planting  for  commercial  purposes, 
but  would  plant  100  to  150  vines  for  home  use ;  they  will  do  well  on  most  any 
soil,  just  so  you  keep  it  stirred  and  free  from  weeds. 

F.  A.  BARBER,  Ransom,  Ness  county :  I  have  fifty  grape-vines,  planted  on 
sandy  loam  not  far  from  water.  A  northeast  slope  is  preferable;  plant  two-year- 
old  vines,  eight  feet  apart;  I  mulch  my  vines;  am  trying  Concord;  would  not 
advise  extensive  planting ;  have  never  sacked  my  grapes,  as  I  am  a  new  beginner 
and  have  had  no  experience. 

W.  H.  AKERS,  Cactus,  Norton  county:  I  have  225  grape-vines  growing  on 
bottom  land,  which  I  prefer;  set  one-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart ;  prune  by  cut- 
ting out  the  old  wood,  in  November ;  pinch  back  once  or  twice  during  summer. 
I  use  stakes  five  or  six  feet  high  for  trellis;  cultivate  with  double- shovel  plow 
and  hoe;  do  not  mulch  my  vines;  have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Diamond,  and 
Ives;  have  discarded  the  latter,  as  it  wilts  on  the  vines  as  soon  as  it  begins  to 
ripen.  I  would  recommend  Concord,  Worden,  and  Diamond,  as  they  do  best  in 
this  locality;  cut  the  grapes  with  a  knife,  and  sell  at  home  for  four  cents  per 
pound;  they  scarcely  pay.  I  would  not  advise  planting  them  extensively:  have 
never  bagged  my  grapes. 

J.  J.  ALEXANDER,  Norton,  Norton  county  :  My  grapes  are  planted  on  a  south- 
eastern slope.  Have  tested  Concord,  Worden,  Niagara,  Elvira,  and  Cham- 
pion. Have  discarded  all  but  Concord,  Worden,  and  Niagara.  Plant  No.  1 
one-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Mulch  to  keep  the  weeds  down.  Prune 
the  young  growth  severely  in  February.  Do  not  summer  prune.  I  think  posts 
and  smooth  wires  make  the  best  trellis.  Do  not  bag  my  grapes,  as  the  wind  and 
rain  destroy  paper  bags.  Market  the  fruit  at  home.  They  are  a  paying  crop 
here. 

J.  Q.  LLOYD,  Barclay,  Osage  county:  I  have  150  grapes,  planted  on  creek 
bottom,  set  at  two  years  of  age,  ten  feet  apart,  in  rows  eight  feet  apart.  I  prune 
on  a  fine  day  in  February ;  also  cut  off  all  unnecessary  shoots  during  summer. 
My  trellis  is  hedge  posts  and  galvanized  wire.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  harrow. 
Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  several  varieties  of  grapes,  but  discarded  all  but  Con- 
cord, as  they  did  not  pay.  Would  recommend  only  the  Concord  for  this  locality. 
Use  all  the  fruit  at  home,  and  consider  them  a  paying  crop ;  but  would  not  ad- 
vise extensive  planting.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit. 

OLOF  LARSEN,  Lyndon,  Osage  county:  I  have  about  100  grape-vines  growing 
on  light  loam:  I  think  a  northern  slope  preferable;  set  my  vines  10x12  feet; 
prune  in  March,  by  cutting  off  about  all  new  growth.  My  trellis  has  three  strands 
of  No.  9  wire.  Till  with  a  cultivator;  a  plow  and  one-horse  cultivator  are  the 
best  tools;  do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  the  Concord  only.  Most  assuredly  they 
are  a  paying  crop  for  home  use.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit  to  protect  it. 

GODFREY  FINE.  Maxson,  Osage  county:  Have  fifty  bearing  vines,  mostly 
Concord,  on  bottom  land.  I  plant  one-  to  two-year-old  vines,  seven  feet  apart; 
cultivate  with  a  hoe;  prune  in  February;  do  not  prune  during  summer.  My 
trellia,  which  is  as  good  as  any,  is  made  of  posts  and  wires.  Market  at  home. 

W.  G.  SHORT,  Twin  Creek,  Osborne  county :  About  all  varieties  do  well  here 
for  such  culture  as  they  get.  They  are  generally  planted  in  unfavorable  places  in 
the  orchard,  and  with  no  particular  care.  WTorden  and  Concord  are  favorites. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  73 

J.  L.  STEEL,  Minneapolis,  Ottawa  county :  I  have  100.  vines,  planted  on  a 
southern  slope;  they  are  Concord,  Worden,  Niagara,  Elvira,  Pocklington,  and 
Moore's  Early.  All  varieties  do  well  here,  when  buds  are  not  destroyed  by  the 
spring  frosts.  Plant  two-year-old  vines,  8x10  feet;  cultivate  with  an  eight- tooth 
cultivator;  prune  severely  in  December.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  No.  9 
wire.  Always  summer  prune  at  the  base  of  the  vine,  to  keep  the  multitudinous 
suckers  from  sapping  its  vitality.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit,  but  think  it  a 
good  plan,  and  would  advise  it,  as  an  experiment  at  least,  to  obtain  perfect 
specimens.  Gather  with  pruning  shears;  market  at  home.  The  birds!  the 
beautiful  birds  !  are  the  great  drawback  to  grape  culture  here.  As  soon  as  the 
grapes  begin  to  ripen,  the  birds  take  their  share,  and  some  more,  and  what  they 
leave  are  not  marketable;  so  that  the  only  return  derived  from  the  grape  crop  is 
for  the  table.  I  have  mulched  to  some  extent,  but  it  causes  the  roots  to  grow 
too  near  the  surface ;  surface  irrigation  tends  to  the  same  evil.  I  think  that  sub- 
irrigation  by  means  of  tiling  or  pipe  would  work  to  good  advantage  for  the  grape. 

GEO.  GEISSLER,  Tescott,  Ottawa  county:  I  think  grapes  do  best  on  a  south- 
east slope,  where  they  get  most  of  the  sun.  Our  sterile  uplands,  even  gravelly 
slopes,  are  preferable  to  heavy  bottom  land.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet,  if 
you  have  plenty  of  room.  Prune  on  the  renewal  system,  in  the  fall,  after  the 
leaves  fall,  and  before  the  buds  swell  in  the  spring;  pruning  to  induce  the  vine 
to  bear  is  the  one  great  difficulty  not  easily  explained  without  practical  experi- 
ments. When  the  vine  has  spun  out  in  long,  endless  tendrills  all  over  the  trellis 
and  neighboring  vines,  it  is  a  difficult  job  to  bring  it  back  to  a  proper  shape. 
We  must  keep  pinching  the  ends  of  the  shoots  off  all  summer ;  thus  producing  the 
young  shoots,  destined  to  bear  the  next  season,  nearer  to  the  center  of  the  plant. 
In  the  fall  or  early  spring  they  should  be  shortened  in  to  about  five  feet  in  length, 
leaving  three  or  four  buds  to  the  cane  and  four  to  six  canes  to  the  plant;  the  fol- 
lowing year  we  should  try  to  discard  as  much  of  the  old  wood  as  we  leave  young; 
thus  continually  renewing  the  plant,  and  keeping  only  young,  one-year-old  canes 
for  bearing.  For  a  trellis,  I  use  anything  that  is  convenient.  Since  the  average 
farmer  has  neither  much  time  nor  experience  to  bestow,  it  is  best  to  have  only  a 
few  vines,  and  those  robust  and  hardy.  It  matters  little  how  they  are  supported ; 
low,  bushy  vines  trailing  on  the  ground  bear  good  fruit,  as  hot  winds  cannot 
damage  them  so  much  in  that  shape  as  when  on  high  trellises.  Plow  in  the 
spring,  and  then  keep  clean.  A  five-toothed  cultivator  is  the  best  tool  for  this 
work.  I  mulch  with  wood  chips  or  manure,  and  work  it  in  the  following  year. 
Have  tried  Concord,  Martha,  Virginia  Seedling,  Delaware,  lona,  Catawba, 
Louisiana,  Goethe,  Rogers's  seedlings,  Elvira,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  etc.; 
have  discarded  everything  but  Concord,  Elvira,  and  Moore's  Early ;  some  were 
weakly  and  others  unproductive.  I  would  recommend  these  three  varieties  for 
this  locality. 

WILLIAM  A.  GILL,  Lamed,  Pawnee  county:  I  have  a  few  grape  vines,  planted 
on  dark  loam.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in  the  spring.  Use 
a  trellis  of  posts  and  wire.  Cultivate  with  a  one-horse  plow.  Do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Hartford  Prolific  and  Concord ;  the  latter  does  best  here.  I  would 
recommend  only  dark  grapes  for  this  locality.  I  consider  them  a  good,  paying 
crop,  and  would  advise  extensive  planting.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  but  be- 
lieve it  would  pay,  as  a  protection  from  the  birds. 

S.  S.  DICKINSON,  Lamed,  Pawnee  county:  I  have  500  giape-vines  growing 
on  sandy  river  bottom,  having  a  northeast  aspect.  My  varieties  are  Concord, 
Niagara,  lona,  Martha,  and  Delaware.  I  plant  two-year-old  vines;  set  them 


74  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

6x10  and  8x10  feet.  Cultivate  with  a  plow,  a  cultivator,  and  a  scythe.  Prune 
in  March  and  April.  My  trellis  is  of  wires  and  posts.  I  mow  the  ends  of  the 
vines  during  summer ;  they  make  too  much  vine,  to  the  detriment  of  the  fruit. 
Sack  my  grapes,  but  do  not  advise  it,  as  the  wind  and  rain  use  the  sacks  up. 
Market  at  home. 

F.  T.  M.  BUTCHER,  Phillipsburg,  Phillips  county:  My  grape-vines  are 
planted  on  sandy  loam.  Varieties  tested  are  Pocklington,  Moore's  Early,  and 
Concord;  have  discarded  all  of  them  but  Concord.  I  plant  yearling  vines,  eight 
feet  apart,  and  cultivate  as  for  other  crops.  Prune  in  February ;  pinch  during 
summer.  I  think  galvanized  wire  makes  the  best  trellis.  Market  my  crop  at 
home.  I  do  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 

D.  F.  YOUNG,  Long  Island,  Phillips  county:  I  did  have  twenty- four  grape- 
vines, but  they  were  all  winter-killed  the  past  winter ;  they  were  planted  on 
deep,  black  upland  soil.  I  believe  a  northern  slope,  having  a  clay  soil,  is  best. 
Set  them  five  feet  apart.  I  usually  prune  the  vines  in  the  fall  and  lay  them 
down ;  do  not  prune  during  summer.  My  trellis  was  posts  with  wires  stretched 
on  them.  Cultivated  them  with  a  horse  and  hoe.  Have  tried  Concord;  they 
pay,  but  would  not  advise  planting  extensively.  I  believe  grapes  would  do  well 
here  with  proper  treatment.  The  past  few  years  I  have  been  experimenting  with 
them.  I  used  to  think  it  necessary  to  bury  them  in  the  fall,  in  order  that  they 
might  not  winter-kill.  The  winter  of  1899  and  1900  I  laid  them  down  and  covered 
some  of  them  with  common  corn-crib  fencing;  on  this  I  put  small  rails  and 
brush.  One  healthy  vine  not  covered  came  out  in  the  spring  of  1900  in  fine  con- 
dition—  the  same  as  those  that  were  covered.  Last  winter  I  was  very  busy, 
and  so  left  my  grapes  unprotected,  like  the  vine  mentioned  above;  consequently 
they  are  all  dead.  I  believe  there  was  not  enough  moisture  in  the  ground  last 
winter.  I  have  always  noticed  that  when  they  go  into  winter  with  the  soil  well 
soaked  they  come  out  all  right  in  the  spring.  The  hot  sun  and  hot  winds 
are  very  injurious  to  grapes;  they  get  sunburned.  I  believe  they  should  be 
planted  in  rows  north  and  south  and  very  close  together,  so  that  one  vine  would 
help  protect  another  from  sun  and  wind. 

ISAAC  H.  FURMAN,  Onaga,  Pottawatomie  county:  I  have  about  200  grape- 
vines, planted  on  a  red-clay  loam.  I  prefer  a  western  slope,  as  it  is  not  so  liable 
to  frost.  Set  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  six  by  eight  feet.  Prune  in  the  fall  to 
make  a  compact  head,  also  pinch  back  once  during  summer  to  cause  thicker 
growth.  I  use  a  four-wire  trellis.  Till  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator.  Never 
mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Worden,  Elvira,  Salem,  Brighton,  Delaware, 
Moore's  Diamond,  Agawam,  and  Early  Ohio.  Have  discarded  Martha,  Niagara, 
Beauty,  Empire  State,  Columbian,  and  Colrain.  Concord  does  best  here;  the 
others  are  fairly  successful.  Market  in  baskets,  in  Onaga,  receiving  five  cents 
per  pound.  They  are  a  profitable  crop,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive  plant- 
ing. Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

M.  D.  WELTNER,  Westmoreland,  Pottawatomie  county:  I  have  fifty  grape- 
vines growing  on  sloping  land;  a  northeast  or  east  slope  is  preferable.  Plant 
one-year-old  vines,  eight  to  nine  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February  and  March,  by 
cutting  back  to  two  buds  on  each  lateral.  I  also  prune  during  the  summer  by 
breaking  off  the  superfluous  sprouts.  Have  tried  only  Concord,  which  is  the 
best  variety  for  this  locality.  They  are  a  profitable  fruit,  and  I  would  advise  ex- 
tensive planting.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

J.  J.  ABLARD,  Lawndale,  Pratt  county:  I  have  about  120  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  level,  black  loam.  They  are  Concord,  Dracut  Amber,  Lindley,  Moyer,  and 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  75 

Diamond.  Experimentally  I  am  trying  Carman,  Niagara,  Goethe,  and  Moore's 
Early ;  Carman  is  quite  successful.  Have  discarded  Moyer,  as  not  prolific ;  would 
recommend  Dracut  Amber,  Concord,  Carman,  and  Diamond.  Prefer  one-year- 
old  vines,  set  six  feet  apart,  in  eight-foot  rows.  Cultivate  by  plowing  shallow, 
and  keep  the  five-tooth  cultivator  going.  Prune  in  February,  to  two  or  four 
buds.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  No.  9  smooth  wire.  Never  summer  prune, 
because  the  leaves  are  needed  to  shade  the  fruit.  Have  never  bagged  any. 
Gather  in  one-half  bushel  baskets ;  market  at  home.  Think  them  a  paying  crop 
for  home  use. 

J.  T.  EVERHART,  Pratt,  Pratt  county:  I  have  about  100  grape-vines;  they  are 
Concord,  Martha,  and  Niagara;  think  the  slope  makes  no  difference.  Would 
recommend  the  above  list,  as  they  do  first-class  here  where  they  get  moisture 
enough.  I  plant  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  shallow  and  irri- 
gate. Prune  any  time  from  first  of  January  to  last  of  February.  Think  wooden 
trellis  best.  Have  not  tried  bagging  grapes,  but  think  it  would  be  good  to  keep 
birds  and  insects  off.  Market  all  I  raise  at  home ;  they  are  profitable. 

S.  S.  HINERMAN,  Chardon,  Rawlins  county :  There  are  but  few  grapes  grow- 
ing in  this  county,  although  I  know  of  some  that  are  making  a  splendid  growth. 
With  proper  care,  I  think  we  can  grow  grapes  for  family  use,  but  as  to  whether 
we  can  grow  them  in  sufficient  quantities  for  commercial  purposes  the  future 
will  show.  I  regret  my  inability  to  give  you  any  practical  knowledge,  on  the 
subject. 

JAMES  L.  WILLIAMS,  McDonald,  Rawlins  county :  I  have  not  been  very  suc- 
cessful with  grapes  on  account  of  grasshoppers;  but  I  believe  they  will  be  all 
right  just  as  soon  as  the  'hoppers  are  gone.  There  are  several  small  vineyards  in 
this  county  that  are  doing  nicely,  and  are  full  of  grapes. 

JAMES  BAINUM,  Arlington,  Reno  county:  I  have  150  grape-vines  growing  on 
valley  land.  Have  tested  and  discarded  Elvira,  because  it  does  not  bear  well; 
would  recommend  Concord,  as  it  does  best  with  me.  Plant  two-year-old-vines, 
6x12  feet;  cultivate  with  a  disk;  prune  in  February;  do  not  prune  during  sum- 
mer, for  lack  of  time.  I  think  stakes  of  Osage  orange  make  the  best  trellis.  Do 
not  believe  bagging  would  pay.  Pick  my  grapes  with  shears.  They  are  a  paying 
crop.  I  may  plant  more  grapes  next  spring.  [Good  !] 

E.  MORGAN,  Hutchinson,  Reno  county:  I  have  3000  grape-vines  which  are  a 
success ;  they  are  planted  on  Arkansas  river  bottom  land,  on  lightest  sand  and 
heaviest  loam.  I  have  discarded  Goethe,  because  it  winter-killed.  Would  rec- 
ommend Concord  and  Moore's  Early.  I  planted  one-  to  two-year-old  vines,  6x8 
and  7x7  feet;  cultivate  by  throwing  the  dirt  from  the  vines  with  a  plow,  then 
hoe  and,  when  the  weeds  come  up  again,  plow  the  dirt  back.  I  prune  after  Jan- 
uary 1,  leaving  five  arms  to  a  vine;  in  trellising  I  use  two  wires;  I  prune  twice 
during  summer,  to  induce  better  growth  of  fruit.  Have  never  bagged  any.  Cut 
the  bunches  and  place  in  half-bushel  baskets.  Market  in  Hutchinson.  I  con- 
sider them  a  good,  paying  crop  at  the  prices  which  we  have  received  the  last  three 
years.  They  are  very  largely  grown  in  this  locality,  and  the  only  thing  which 
prevents  complete  success  is  the  ravages  of  the  birds;  I  have  known  whole  crops 
taken  by  the  birds,  and  every  year  the  damage  is  great.  The  chief  destroyer  is 
a  species  of  oriole  that  migrates  in  August,  and  the  man  that  can  stop  the  rav- 
ages of  these  pests  will  benefit  the  grape  growers  more  than  I  could  tell.  [  Bag 
the  grapes.]  I  think  that  native  birds  do  more  good  than  harm,  but  those  that 


76  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

come  from  the  north  take  our  entire  grape  crop  and  do  no  good ;  some  means 
should  be  devised  for  protection  ;  at  present  all  we  have  is  the  shot-gun,  and  that 
is  expensive  and  inadequate. 

JAMES  DUNLAP,  Hutchineon,  Reno  county:  I  have  twenty  acres,  or  11,000 
grape-vines,  growing  on  level,  sandy  land.  Of  all  slopes,  southern  is  preferable. 
Set  two-year-old  vines,  nine  by  nine  feet.  I  prune  close,  from  November  until 
March  1 ;  also  prune  three  times  during  the  summer.  For  a  trellis  I  use  first- 
class  posts,  sixteen  feet  apart,  and  two  No.  10  wires.  I  till  them  by  plowing  the 
ground  early  in  the  spring;  then  cultivate  afterwards  with  a  turning-plow  and 
five-tooth  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  I  have  tried  a  great  many  varieties,  but 
discarded  nearly  all  of  them  because  some  were  unproductive,  some  poor  quality, 
and  others  not  hardy.  Those  which  do  best  here  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord, 
and  Niagara.  I  would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Niagara,  Ives,  Ca- 
tawba,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Goethe;  the  latter  I  would  plant  in  limited  num- 
bers. Gather  and  market  in  eight-pound  baskets,  which  I  sell  at  wholesale  and 
also  ship,  receiving  from  twenty-five  cents  down  to  ten  cents  per  basket  for  them. 
They  are  a  paying  crop  if  a  man  has  a  small  farm  and  plenty  of  help,  but  if  he 
has  much  other  work  to  do,  they  do  not  pay,  and  I  would  not  advise  extensive 
planting.  I  have  sacked  the  fruit  to  protect  it.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape 
juice  for  family  use,  in  Mason's  two- quart  jars. 

E.  B.  HANSEN,  Olcott,  Reno  county  :   I  have  200  grape-vines  growing  on  sandy 
soil  having  a  clay  subsoil;  planted  strong  one-year-old  vines,  6x12  feet;  prune 
in  February,  also  a  little  in  summer;  use  a  wire  trellis;  do  not  mulch;  have  tried 
Concord,  Niagara,  and  Delaware;  the  Concord  and  Delaware  do  best  here;  I  re- 
ceive two  and  one-half  cents  per  pound,  and  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 

F.  A.  SMITH,  Belleville,  Republic  county:   Have  twenty-five  grape-vines  at 
present ;  they  do  well  on  any  good  corn  land ;  slope  makes  little  difference :  north- 
east slope  sometimes  retards  too  early  start  in  spring ;  have  tried  several  kinds, 
and  discarded  all  but  Concord,  as  all  were  too  tender;  tried  Pocklington,  but 
drought  killed  it;  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  set  ten  feet  apart,  rows  eight  feet, 
but  perhaps  twelve  feet  would  be  better;  till  with  a  corn  cultivator,  or  anything 
that  will  keep  them  clean  and  the  soil  mellow;  I  prune  while  the  vines  are  grow- 
ing, so  as  to  get  the  growth  where  I  want  it:  Osage  orange  posts  and  galvanized 
wire  are  best  for  trellis;  have  never  bagged  any:  use  all  the  fruit  at  home;  they 
are  one  of  the  surest  and  best- pay  ing  crops  we  grow. 

WILLIAM  H.  WERNEK,  Alden,  Rice  county:  I  have  perhaps  100  grape-vines; 
sandy  soil  is  preferable;  would  think  hilly  country  best.  Plant  two-year-old 
vines,  eight  to  ten  feet.  Prune  during  the  fall  or  in  February ;  also  prune  some  in 
summer.  My  trellis  is  a  stake  with  a  cross-bar.  I  cultivate  my  grapes  shallow^ 
so  as  not  to  disturb  the  roots;  think  a  shallow-working  tool  is  best,  as  the  roots 
lay  very  near  the  surface.  I  think  mulching  all  right  where  a  man  can't  irri- 
gate. Have  tried  Concord,  White  Lady,  Rogers's  No.  4,  and  Clinton ;  have  dis- 
carded the  White  Lady  and  Rogers's  No.  4,  because  they  would  not  stand  the 
drought.  I  would  recommend  Concord  for  this  locality ;  the  Clinton  also  does 
well  here,  but  the  berries  are  small  and  not  marketable.  I  cut  the  bunches  with 
scissors  or  sharp  knife,  and  sell  for  two  or  three  cents  per  pound.  Do  not  con- 
sider them  a  paying  market  crop,  but  they  pay  well  for  family  use.  I  would  not 
advise  planting  extensively  here,  as  we  are  too  far  from  market.  Have  never 
tried  sacking  my  grapes.  The  birds  cause  considerable  loss  where  the  vines  are 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  77 

tied  up,  but  if  left  near  the  ground  the  birds  seldom  hunt  out  the  fruit.  I  shot 
about  100  birds  last  year,  and  was  afterwards  told  that  if  *I  would  place  water 
near  the  vines  they  would  not  trouble  the  fruit. 

DR.  G.  BOHRER,  Chase,  Rice  county :  I  have  about  twenty-five  grape-vines, 
planted  on  black,  sandy  loam  having  a  slightly  eastern  slope.  My  varieties  are 
Delaware,  Niagara,  and  Concord.  I  prefer  Concord,  as  it  seems  hardy  and  bears 
well.  I  plant  one-year-old  vines,  six  feet  each  way;  cultivate  shallow.  Prune 
in  February ;  also  in  summer,  as  this  throws  more  substance  to  the  grapes  and 
prevents  their  dropping.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts,  sixteen  feet  apart,  and 
wire.  Have  not  bagged  grapes,  and  would  not  advise  it,  unless  to  fertilize  and 
produce  a  new  variety;  see  no  good  in  it  excepting  for  this  purpose.  Cut  the 
bunches  of  grapes  close  to  the  vine.  I  have  none  to  sell,  but  prefer  baskets.  I 
consider  them  a  paying  crop,  especially  for  family  use.  When  the  season  is  dry 
I  irrigate.  We  invariably  have  grapes  on  the  Arkansas  river  bottom  lands  here 
in  Rice  county.  The  grape  roots  get  moisture  from  the  river;  that  is  found  at  a 
depth  of  from  five  to  fourteen  feet  on  most  of  the  farm  lands  of  the  Arkansas 
river  valley  proper.  On  these  lands  irrigation  is  little  needed.  Am  of  the  opin- 
ion that  hardy  varieties  can  be  successfully  grown  here.  Niagara  is  not  as  hardy 
as  Concord,  and  will  not  stand  drought  nor  cold  as  well.  Delaware  seems  hardy, 
but  requires  more  moisture  than  Niagara  or  Concord  in  order  to  bear  and  de- 
velop well.  I  have  one  vine  under  the  eaves  of  the  house  which  gets  much  more 
water  than  those  in  the  open  ground ;  it  bears  quite  well,  while  the  others  be- 
come feeble  in  dry  weather  and  bear  no  fruit.  No  one  would  make  a  mistake  by 
planting  Concord  grapes  largely  in  this  county. 

H.  C.  HODGSON,  Little  River,  Rice  county:  I  have  about  one  acre  of  grape- 
vines, planted  on  bottom  and  second  bottom  land.  I  think  a  northern  slope 
preferable.  Have  always  planted  one-year-old  vines,  five  to  six  feet  apart  in  the 
row,  and  the  rows  one  rod  apart.  Prune  the  last  year's  growth  back  to  one  or 
two  buds ;  never  summer  prune.  My  trellis  is  three  wires,  on  posts  twenty  feet 
apart.  Till  them  with  a  one-horse  cultivator  until  they  begin  to  bear;  then 
mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Niagara,  Wyoming  Red,  Agawam,  Pocklington, 
and  Campbell's  Early.  Have  discarded  the  Agawam  ;  it  winter-kills.  The  varie- 
ties that  I  think  best  for  this  locality,  and  that  I  would  recommend,  are  Con- 
cord, Niagara,  and  Campbell's  Early ;  the  latter  has  been  planted  only  one  year — 
not  long  enough  to  test.  Sell  my  grapes  at  home,  realizing  two  and  one-half  to 
three  cents  per  pound  for  them.  They  are  a  fairly  paying  crop,  but  I  would  not 
advise  planting  extensively.  Have  never  tried  sacking  any. 

JAMES  ANDERSON,  Leonardville,  Riley  county  :  I  have  two  dozen  grape-vines, 
planted  on  level  land.  They  are  Concord ;  would  recommend  this  variety.  Set 
my  vines  six  feet  apart.  Cultivate  with  a  hoe.  Prune  in  March.  My  trellis  is 
made  of  posts  and  wire.  Do  not  summer  prune.  Gather  my  grapes  by  hand. 
Market  at  home.  I  consider  them  a  good  paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfer- 
mented  grape  juice. 

N.  CHRISTIANSEN,  Mariadahl,  Riley  county:  I  have  seventy-five  grape-vines 
growing  on  second-bottom  land;  set  two-year-old  vines,  7x9  feet;  in  pruning,  I 
cut  off  all  the  dead  wood  and  part  of  the  bearing  vine ;  for  a  trellis  I  use  posts 
and  wire ;  till  with  a  hoe,  cultivator,  and  disk ;  I  do  not,  as  a  general  thing,  mulch 
my  vines,  but  think  it  should  be  done  late  in  spring,  for  if  it  is  done  during  the 
winter  it  will  draw  frost  in  spring  and  kill  the  bloom,  and  perhaps  vine  also; 
I  had  some  killed  this  year ;  I  prune  a  little  during  summer  to  thin  out  sprouts ; 


78  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

I  have  tried  Concord  and  two  other  varieties ;  Concord  does  best  here ;  I  seldom 
have  grapes  to  sell,  but  when  I  do  I  receive  from  three  to  five  cents  per  pound ; 
they  would  be  a  paying  crop  if  conducted  as  a  business;  have  never  sacked  the 
fruit;  we  boil,  skim  and  can  grape  juice,  which  is  very  useful  in  cooking. 

G.  E.  SPOHR,  Manhattan,  Riley  county:  I  have  1800  grapes,  planted  on  a 
sandy  loam  which  slopes  slightly  southeast.  My  varieties  are  Concord,  Worden, 
Elvira,  Martha,  Moore's  Early,  Moore's  Diamond,  Catawba,  and  several  of  the 
Rogers's.  Have  discarded  all  varieties  but  four.  A  leaf-louse  destroys  the 
foliage  on  all  the  wrinkled- leaf  varieties.  Rogers's  not  hardy;  Martha  not  a 
good  bearer.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  and  Moore's 
Diamond.  I  have  never  experimented  very  much ;  grubbed  out  most  all  my 
Catawba,  Elvira,  Rogers's,  etc.;  left  only  enough  for  home  use;  then  planted 
Concords,  as  I  wanted  some  pay  for  my  work.  The  Concord  is  the  only  money- 
maker. I  prefer  one-year-old  vines,  set  7x10  feet;  cultivate  with  a  diamond 
plow  and  a  five- toothed  cultivator.  Prune  early  in  the  spring,  when  heavy  frosts 
are  over,  and  pinch  the  vines  after  the  fruit  is  well  set,  and  prune  in  July,  if  the 
growth  is  very  rank.  My  trellis  is  made  of  three  strands  of  No.  9  or  No.  12  wire 
and  posts  twenty  feet  apart.  I  have  bagged  my  grapes — 4000  bunches  in  two  years ; 
I  would  advise  it,  if  help  can  be  had  cheaply.  The  heavy  rains  ruined  the  bags, 
and  the  fingers  of  my  helper  were  too  stiff  to  leave  me  any  profit  after  paying  him 
one  dollar  per  day.  [Girls  are  more  nimble.]  Gather  each  bunch  carefully,  and 
pack  in  eight-pound  baskets ;  sell  mostly  at  home  and  to  shippers  here.  Realized 
from  twenty- five  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre  last  year;  about  every  fifth  year  I  have 
to  buy  grapes  to  eat.  Two  of  the  largest  commercial  vineyards  here  have  been 
grubbed  out.  I  do  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop;  would  rather  grow  corn. 
I  have* put  up  unfermented  grape  juice,  but  do  not  now,  as  it  is  too  much  labor. 

W.  J.  GRIFFING,  Manhattan,  Riley  county :  Have  one-half  acre  of  grape-vines, 
planted  on  upland  clay  loam.  My  varieties  are  Concord,  Worden,  Etta,  and 
Dracut  Amber.  Plant  two-year-old  vines.  Set  six  feet  apart  in  the  row,  rows 
six  feet  apart.  Till  with  a  one-horse,  double-shovel-cultivator.  Prune  in  late 
winter  or  early  spring;  would  prune  in  the  summer  if  I  had  time.  My  trellis  is 
hedge  posts  and  wire.  Do  not  bag  the  fruit;  it  is  well  to  bag  a  few.  I  prefer 
ten-pound  baskets.  Market  at  Manhattan.  They  are  too  easily  grown  and  too 
prolific  to  be  a  paying  crop.  I  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  we  can  it  every 
year  as  you  would  can  fruit;  we  like  it  sweetened  and  diluted  with  water  in  the 
summer;  it  is  as  good  as  lemonade.  We  also  can  cherry  and  blackberry  juice  in 
the  same  way  for  the  same  purpose.  Often  use  it  to  make  jelly  in  the  winter. 

SAM  KIMBLE,  Manhattan,  Riley  county:  I  have  between  300  and  400  grape- 
vines, planted  on  an  acre  of  clay  upland,  sloping  slightly  to  the  southeast.  Have 
tested  Concord,  Worden,  and  Delaware.  Would  recommend  Worden  as  best  of 
all,  as  it  is  as  hardy  as  Concord,  a  little  larger  berry,  and  sweeter.  I  think  it 
finer  for  table  use.  Have  tested  the  Delaware  experimentally,  but  find  it  un- 
profitable, as  it  is  not  hardy  here.  I  plant  two-year-old,  well-rooted  vines,  six  to 
eight  feet  apart,  in  rows  nine  feet  apart.  Till  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator  lightly 
to  keep  the  ground  clean  and  loose,  but  not  deep  enough  to  tear  the  roots. 
Thorough  cultivation  is  half  the  battle.  Prune  late  in  winter,  and  again  about 
June  15  I  prune  off  the  long  shoots  with  a  scythe;  again  in  summer  I  prune 
along  the  sides  of  the  trellis  with  a  sickle.  I  use  a  five-wire-fence  trellis,  which 
I  think  is  best.  Have  not  bagged  any,  as  I  do  not  think  it  beneficial.  Cut 
bunches  with  sharp  knife  or  shears.  I  let  my  neighbors  and  friends  come  and 
get  all  they  want  free.  Some  pay  me  one  dollar  a  hundredweight  when  they  get 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  79 

a  large  quantity ;  have  averaged  for  the  last  two  years  abqut  thirty  dollars  in 
cash  per  year.  They  are  a  big-paying  crop,  both  in  money  and  satisfaction.  We 
intend  putting  up  some  unfermented  grape  juice  this  year.  My  crop  of  1898  was 
fully  5000  pounds;  1899  was  3000  pounds;  and  this  year  [1900]  I  think  it  will  be 
3500  pounds. 

A.  G.  AXELTON,  Randolph,  Riley  county:   Have  200  grape-vines  growing  on 
black  loam  mixed  with  gravel,  sloping  to  the  northwest.     My  varieties  are  Con- 
cord, Elvira,  and  twenty  others;  would  recommend  the  two  named.     I  plant  one- 
year-old  vines,  7x8  feet;  till  with  acorn  cultivator  and  five-hoe  cultivator;  prune 
in  the  spring ;  never  summer  prune  —  have  n't  time.     My  trellis  is  made  of  posts, 
set  sixteen  feet  apart,  and  four  wires.     Do  not  bag  my  grapes.     Cut  them  with 
shears.     Sell  in  home  market. 

W.  R.  NEWMAN,  Hargrave,  Rush  county:  Grapes  are  not  a  success  here  yet; 
but  the  climate  is  becoming  more  humid.  We  tried  grapes  a  number  of  years 
ago,  and,  by  mulching  and  good  cultivation,  kept  the  vines  alive  a  few  years. 
Wild  grapes  do  fairly  well  along  the  creeks,  where  they  are  protected  by  high 
banks.  I  believe,  with  good  protection  and  plenty  of  water,  grapes  would  suc- 
ceed here. 

B.  E.  MIRICK,  La  Crosse,  Rush  county  :   Have  twenty-five  grape-vines,  planted 
on  good,  dry,  upland  soil.     Set  one-year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart;  prune  early  in 
the  spring,  with  a  knife ;  pinch  the  green  shoots  in  the  summer  if  they  are  mak- 
ing too  rank  a  growth,  and  to  season  and  mature  the  vines.     My  trellis  is  smooth 
wires,  on  posts  fourteen  feet  apart.     Till  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe ;  do  not  mulch. 
Have  tried  Concord  and  Niagara ;  discarded  the  latter,  because  it  is  too  tender 
to  stand  the  climate ;  would  recommend  only  Concord  for  this  locality.     My  vines 
have  been  set  but  one  year ;  therefore  are  not  yet  in  bearing.     I  consider  them  a 
paying  crop  for  home  use,  but  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  of  them. 

JOHN  H.  MANNERS,  Luray,  Russell  county:  I  grow  only  a  few  grapes  for 
family  use,  planted  on  a  northeast  sloping  depression,  which  I  think  best,  as  they 
are  little  exposed  to  the  sun  and  wind.  Plant  two-year-old  roots.  Prune  close 
in  the  spring,  before  the  sap  starts.  I  trellis  the  vines  near  the  ground,  so  as  to 
protect  them  from  the  wind.  Cultivate  with  a  spade  and  hoe,  if  you  have  only  a 
few.  I  do  not  mulch,  but  keep  a  dirt  blanket  around  the  vines.  Have  tried 
only  Concord,  which  I  would  recommend  for  this  locality.  They  are  a  paying 
crop  here,  and  I  would  advise  planting  them  for  family  use,  at  least.  Have  never 
sacked  the  fruit.  Comparatively  little  effort  has  been  made  here  to  grow  the 
grape.  The  wild  grapes  cling  to  our  hillsides,  particularly  northern  exposures ; 
they  have  never  been  known  to  summer-  or  winter-kill.  We  have  but  little  diffi- 
culty in  getting  the  tame  varieties  to  grow  here ;  they  bear  good  crops  as  soon  as 
old  enough.  Hail-storms  and  grasshoppers  sometimes  destroy  the  vines.  It  has 
been  demonstrated  that  they  will  bear  and  do  well  in  this  valley,  and  that  for 
quality  and  quantity  we  have  no  reason  to  complain.  The  trouble  lies  largely 
with  ourselves.  Some  have  natural  barriers  against  these  vine  destroyers ;  others 
could  soon  prepare  them ;  these  are  hillsides,  slopes,  walls,  and  hedges.  The 
day  is  not  far  distant  when  everybody  here  will  have  all  the  grapes  and  small 
fruits  they  need  for  family  use. 

B.  F.  HAINES,  Russell,  Russell  county:  Would  plant  yearling  vines,  eight 
feet  apart,  on  land  sloping  to  the  northeast.  Prune  during  the  latter  part  of 
March  and  in  the  summer.  Stone  posts  and  wire  make  the  best  trellis.  Culti- 
vate with  a  hoe  or  plow,  which  I  think  best  for  the  work.  Mulch  the  second 


80  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

year.  Have  tried  Concord,  and  many  other  varieties.  I  would  recommend  the 
Concord  for  this  locality,  as  it  is  the  most  satisfactory.  Consume  all  the  fruit  at 
home.  They  are  a  paying  crop,  and  I  would  advise  extensive  planting.  Have 
never  sacked  grapes. 

F.  G.  BARKER,  Salina,  Saline  county:  I  have  nine  acres  of  grapes  growing 
on  upland;  think  slope  makes  no  difference.  I  planted  first  class  one-year-old 
vines,  10x10  feet,  but  think  8x12  would  be  a  better  distance.  I  prune  to  about 
ten  fruit-buds  to  each  vine;  I  also  prune  during  summer;  walk  down  between 
the  rows  and  cut  back  the  rampant  growth  with  a  corn-knife.  For  a  trellis  I  use 
one  wire  running  east  and  west,  one  and  one-half  feet  from  the  ground.  I  culti- 
vate with  a  twelve  inch  plow  and  a  disk  harrow,  which  I  consider  best.  I  use  a 
home-made  rake  to  remove  the  vines  from  between  the  rows  after  pruning.  I 
mulch  my  vines.  I  have  tried  Concord,  Elvira,  Delaware,  lona,  Wyoming  Red, 
Pocklington,  Niagara,  Worden,  Ives,  Moore's  Early,  Catawba,  Clinton,  America, 
and  Massasoit.  Have  discarded  all  the  fancy  and  wine  varieties,  as  the  buyers 
don't  know  any  variety  but  the  Concord,  and  they  will  buy  ten  baskets  of  Con- 
cord to  one  of  Delaware,  at  the  same  price.  ThoFe  which  do  best  here  are  Mas- 
sasoit, Worden,  Catawba,  and  Ives.  I  would  recommend  Massasoit  and  Concord 
for  this  locality.  I  gather  in  eight  pound  baskets,  and  do  not  repack  before 
marketing.  Sell  part  in  the  vineyard,  and  the  balance  in  neighboring  towns.  I 
do  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop  excepting  for  home  use,  and  would  not  ad- 
vise extensive  planting  here.  I  have  sacked  grapes  for  exhibition  purposes,  but 
it  will  not  pay  in  a  commercial  way,  as  the  dealers  will  not  pay  for  fancy  grapes. 
We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice ;  we  boil  the  fresh  juice,  skim,  and  put  into 
black  quart  bottles,  drive  cork  in  with  hand  corker,  pour  hot  wax  on  the  cork, 
and,  when  cool,  we  dip  the  cork  end  of  the  bottle  in  hot  wax.  While  making, 
have  everything  hot,  and  then  afterwards  keep  in  a  cooj  place.  I  buy  bottles  at 
the  soda-fountains,  at  $3.50  per  100. 

HENRI  FONEK,  Salina,  Saline  county:  I  have  an  acre  and  a  half  of  grape- 
vines growing  on  black  loam  which  is  slightly  sandy.  I  prefer  a  south  or  east 
slope.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet.  I  prune  in  March,  and  then  in  June, 
after  the  grapes  are  set;  I  break  [ ?]  the  rest.  I  use  three  wires  and  posts  for  a 
trellis.  Cultivate  with  a  plow,  in  May,  by  turning  the  ground  away  from  the 
vines,  and  in  June  I  turn  it  back;  a  plow  is  the  best  implement  for  this 
work.  I  mulch  once  every  three  years.  I  would  recommend  Concord  for  this 
locality,  as  this  country  is  too  windy  for  other  varieties.  I  sell  the  fruit  at  home, 
to  farmers,  receiving  $200  per  acre.  They  are  a  profitable  crop,  and  I  would  ad- 
vise extensive  planting  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  but  think  it  would 
be  very  beneficial.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  boil  it  one  minute  and 
seal  up. 

A.  W.  JONES,  Salina,  Saline  county:  Have  about  350  grape-vines,  planted 
on  sandy  soil,  which  I  prefer ;  the  slope  I  think  is  not  important.  Have  about 
forty  varieties.  Have  tried  and  discarded  Champion  as  poor  quality ;  Goethe, 
Brighton,  Salem,  Agawam,  Pocklington  and  Prentiss  as  too  tender.  Would 
recommend  Concord,  Catawba,  Lindley,  Martha,  Worden,  Telegraph,  and  Elvira : 
the  latter  one  for  jelly.  Plant  one-year-old  vines,  8x9  feet.  Till  with  a  plow,  a 
cultivator,  and  a  harrow ;  keep  the  ground  clean.  Prune  the  latter  part  of  win- 
ter by  thinning  out  the  canes  and  cutting  back  to  two  or  three  buds;  summer 
prune  some.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  wire.  Do  not  bag  grapes  for  mar- 
ket, and  would  not  advise  it ;  it  is  too  expensive.  Cut  the  bunches  from  the 
vines  and  pack  in  eight-pound  baskets.  Market  at  Salina;  at  present  prices  the 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  81 

profit  is  very  small.  We  formerly  had  five  or  six  times  the  number  of  vines  we 
now  have,  having  marketed  as  high  as  38,000  pounds  in  a  single  season;  but 
owing  to  droughts,  late  frosts  and  prevailing  prices  of  the  past  few  years,  we 
have  grubbed  out  most  of  our  vineyard. 

FRANK  JURGENS,  Scott,  Scott  county :  I  have  eighty  grape- vines  growing  on 
very  fertile,  dark  soil  which  is  level.  The  varieties  are  Champion,  Concord,  Ca- 
tawba,  and  Niagara.  My  Niagaras  froze  down.  Would  recommend  Champion 
and  Concord.  I  plant  one-year-old  vines,  six  by  eight  feet;  cultivate  with  a  hoe 
and  spade.  Prune  in  February ;  I  prune  some  in  summer,  when  the  shade  gets 
too  dense.  My  trellis  is  posts  set  in  the  ground  with  crosspieces.  Gather  the 
fruit  by  hand  in  ten-pound  baskets,  and  sell  at  Scott.  I  consider  them  a  good, 
paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  boil,  drain  juice  out,  heat, 
bottle,  seal. 

A.  C.  HILL,  Liberal,  Seward  county:  I  have  100  grape-vines  growing  on 
sandy  soil.  An  eastern  slope  is  preferable.  Set  one  year-old  vines,  six  feet  apart. 
Prune  in  February;  also  during  summer.  I  till  with  a  plow  and  hoe,  but  a  disk 
harrow  is  the  best  implement  for  this  work.  I  mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried 
Concord,  Martha,  and  Lady  Washington.  Have  discarded  Lady  Washington,  as 
it  is  too  small.  I  would  recommend  Concord  for  this  locality,  as  it  is  the  most 
satisfactory  variety.  They  would  pay  well  here  if  irrigated ;  and  I  would  advise 
extensive  planting  if  they  could  be  treated  this  way.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

WILLIAM  EAPP,  Liberal,  Seward  county:  I  have  250  grape-vines  growing  on 
a  southern  slope.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  6x8  feet  apart ;  prune  closely,  in  March, 
also  during  summer.  Use  a  wire  trellis.  Cultivate  with  a  double-shovel  or  a 
small  stirring-plow;  I  mulch  my  vines.  Have  tried  Concord,  Martha,  and  Ca- 
tawba ;  I  would  recommend  the  two  former  ones,  as  they  do  best  here.  Grapes 
do  as  well  here  as  any  other  fruit;  they  bear  well,  but  the  grasshoppers  bother 
them.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

G.  W.  COLLINGS,  Wichita,  Sedgwick  county:  I  have  grown  grapes  for  home 
use  for  twenty-five  years,  but  my  experience  with  a  commercial  vineyard  began 
only  three  years  ago.  Since  that  time  I  have  had  control  of  an  old  vineyard 
of  three  acres,  and  at  the  same  time  began  to  put  out  a  new  one.  The  new  vine- 
yard now  has  in  it  2500  vines ;  some  have  been  set  each  of  the  three  years.  The 
old  vineyard  is  mostly  Concord;  there  are  a  few  other  varieties  in  it,  among 
which  are  some  Salem.  These  make  an  excellent  growth  of  wood,  and  when  the 
fruit  comes  to  maturity,  and  is  well  ripened,  it  is  one  of  the  best  of  grapes;  large 
and  showy,  in  both  bunch  and  berry,  and  of  exquisite  flavor;  but  with  me  these 
vines  have  ripened  very  little  sourid  fruit.  The  fruit  has  been  affected  every 
year  by  anthracnose,  and  two  crops  were  almost  entirely  destroyed ;  whether  or 
not  this  disease  could  be  controlled  by  spraying,  I  do  not  know. 

Only  a  part  of  the  new  vineyard  has  borne  fruit;  last  year  there  were  a  few 
bunches  on  the  following  varieties:  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Brighton,  Niagara, 
Pocklington,  Goethe,  Delaware,  Catawba,  and  Worden,  all  of  which  promise  to 
do  well  when  the  vines  are  older.  In  addition  to  the  above,  I  have  out  the  fol- 
lowing varieties :  Campbell's  Early,  Cynthiana,  Green  Mountain,  Moore's  Dia- 
mond, Salem,  and  Cottage,  and  I  have  lately  added  a  McPike  and  an  Ozark. 
All  of  the  above  have  made  a  fairly  good  growth  excepting  Campbell's  Early. 
Two  vines  of  this  variety  that  have  been  out  three  years,  and  had  the  best  of 
care,  have  not  grown  a  cane  two  feet  long.  The  land  on  which  this  vineyard  is 
growing  is  black  loam,  some  parts  having  a  little  sand  in  it,  but  the  most  of  it  is 
—6 


82  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

entirely  without  sand.  There  is  no  perceptible  difference  in  the  growth  of  vine 
or  fruit  between  those  grown  on  sandy  land  or  on  land  containing  no  sand- 
There  is,  however,  a  considerable  difference  in  the  working;  one  has  to  have 
more  "sand  in  his  craw"  to  work  where  there  is  no  sand  in  the  soil.  My  land  is 
nearly  level ;  only  sufficiently  undulating  to  prevent  water  standing  on  any  part 
of  it;  I  therefore  have  had  no  experience  with  slopes.  My  first  year's  setting  was 
all  of  one-year-old  vines ;  since  then  have  used  two-year-old  vines ;  the  difference 
in  cost  is  so  little  that  it  pays  to  buy  two-year-old  vines.  I  propagate  some  of 
my  vines,  both  by  cuttings  and  layering,  and  these  are  set  in  the  fall,  with  very 
satisfactory  results.  For  the  sake  of  uniformity,  the  vines  are  all  set  eight  feet 
each  way.  I  prune  any  time  after  the  leaves  fall  in  the  autumn  until  the  sap 
begins  to  flow  in  the  spring.  I  have  no  hard-and-fast  lines  for  pruning,  but 
aim  to  get  rid  of  as  much  old  wood  as  possible,  leaving  enough  new  wood  to  bear 
a  crop,  and  some  spurs  near  the  ground  for  renewal.  I  do  very  little  summer 
pruning. 

I  made  a  trellis  by  setting  the  posts  sixteen  feet  apart  along  the  rows,  putting 
on  two  No.  12  galvanized-iron  wires.  For  cultivating  a  one-horse  plow  is  a 
very  useful  tool.  With  it  you  can  run  shallow  enough  not  to  interfere  with  the 
roots,  and  can  throw  the  dirt  to  the  vines  so  as  to  cover  all  the  weeds  in  the  row, 
and  so  that  hand  hoeing  is  not  necessary.  The  next  time  the  earth  must  be 
worked  back,  and  the  land  side  of  the  plow  will  have  to  go  next  to  the  row,  and 
quite  a  little  space  will  be  left ;  part  of  this  can  be  reached  with  a  five-tooth 
cultivator;  but  there  will  still  be  a  part  of  it  that  nothing  but  "the  man  with 
the  hoe"  can  reach.  Take  an  ordinary  hoe  to  a  blacksmith  and  have  the  shank 
straightened,  so  that  you  can  use  it  like  a  shovel,  and  you  will  have  a  tool  that 
will  be  much  superior  to  an  ordinary  hoe  for  this  work.  A  two-horse  cultivator 
is  sometimes  used  for  working  the  middles,  but  the  wheels  of  this  implement 
prevent  going  close  to  the  vines.  No  one  tool  is  best;  each  has  its  uses.  As  a 
general  rule  I  do  not  mulch,  but  with  varieties  that  are  liable  to  winter-kill,  such 
as  the  Goethe,  I  sometimes  put  the  vines  on  the  ground  and  cover  with  straw  or 
strawy  manure.  The  fruit  is  picked  in  half-bushel  baskets  and  brought  to  the 
packing  shed,  and  all  the  overripe  and  inferior  berries  are  picked  out.  The 
packing  is  done  in  eight-pound  baskets,  and  if  the  grapes  are  to  be  shipped  the 
baskets  are  coveied,  but  if  for  the  local  market  covers  are  not  used. 

I  sold  the  most  of  my  grapes  three  years  ago  to  commission  merchants,  for 
shipping.  Since  then  the  most  of  them  have  gone  to  the  local  market.  When 
Moore's  Early  first  appears  in  the  market  the  price  starts  at  about  forty  cents 
per  eight-pound  basket,  and  by  the  time  the  Concord  harvest  is  at  its  highest 
tide  the  price  goes  down  to  ten  cents.  When  we  could  sell  the  most  of  the  crop 
in  large  quantities  for  shipment  grape  growing  paid  handsomely  ;  but  since  then 
the  demand  has  become  so  small,  the  local  market  overstocked,  and,  with  the 
consequent  low  prices  and  the  yearly  increasing  depredations  of  the  birds,  the 
balance  is  apt  to  be  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  ledger.  I  tried  sacking  the  fruit 
when  I  had  only  enough  for  home  use,  and  found  it  a  complete  protection  from 
the  birds  and  insects.  Have  not  tried  it  in  a  commercial  way,  but  if  it  will  pay 
to  grow  grapes  at  all  it  will  surely  pay  to  sack  them.  For  two  years  past  the 
ravages  of  the  birds  have  been  appalling  to  the  grape  grower.  Some  of  my 
neighbors  shoot  the  birds,  but  this  is  expensive,  and,  as  the  birds  that  do  the 
mischief  are  migratory,  shooting  seems  to  do  little  good.  If  the  money  spent  for 
shooting  material  was  used  in  sacking  the  grapes  the  results  would  doubtless  be 
far  better.  There  are  now  more  than  enough  grape-vines  growing  in  this  vicin- 
ity to  supply  the  local  demand,  and  if  some  other  market  cannot  be  found  I 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  83 

would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Growing  grapes  has  a  great  fascination  for 
me,  and  I  regret  that  the  profits  are  not  greater.  We  have  put  up  unfermented 
grape  juice  for  family  use;  take  the  juice  from  good,  ripe  grapes  from  which  all 
green  and  otherwise  bad  berries  have  been  picked;  strain  it,  heat  to  the  boiling- 
point;  skim  thoroughly,  and  seal  in  bottles  resting  in  a  vessel  of  hot  water. 
Glass  fruit-jars  may  be  used  instead  of  bottles.  Everything  that  comes  in  con- 
tact with  the  juice  must  be  scrupulously  clean,  and  the  juice  should  be  sealed  as 
soon  as  possible  after  being  expressed  from  the  grapes. 

A.  H.  BUCKMAN,  Topeka,  Shawnee  county:  I  have  2500  grape-vines  growing 
on  soil  which  would  be  good  corn  land.  It  slopes  only  enough  for  water  to  run 
off  without  washing.  Have  tried  fifty  varieties;  have  discarded  forty  of  them, 
because  of  tenderness,  poor  quality,  rot,  etc.  There  are  six  varieties  which  I 
would  recommend;  they  are  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Worden,  Green  Mountain, 
Woodruff  Red,  and  Goethe.  I  prefer  choice  one-year-old  vines  for  setting — home 
grown,  if  possible;  set  them  eight  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  and  the  rows  ten  feet 
apart.  Cultivate  shallow,  with  a  five-hoe  or  harrow-tooth  cultivator.  Prune  in 
February,  while  they  are  dormant.  My  trellis  is  made  of  hedge  posts,  sixteen  to 
twenty  feet  apart,  and  three  No.  12  wires.  I  do  not  summer  prune,  but  pull  off 
all  useless  sprouts,  as  it  appears  to  weaken  the  vitality  of  the  vines.  Have  never 
bagged  my  grapes;  I  would  advise  it  for  exhibition  purposes,  but  I  do  not  grow 
grapes  for  exhibition.  Market  in  five-  to  ten-pound  baskets,  in  Topeka.  I  rea- 
lize from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop  for  the 
amount  of  labor  required. 

S.  B.  JOHNSTON,  Wakarusa,  Shawnee  county:  I  have  110 grape-vines,  planted 
in  sandy  soil  having  a  clay  subsoil.  I  do  not  think  slope  makes  any  difference. 
Plant  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart.  Prune  closely  in  the  fall ;  do  not 
prune  during  the  summer.  My  trellis  is  made  of  hedge  posts  and  wire.  Till 
them  with  a  plow  and  spading-fork.  I  mulch  in  the  fall,  and  scatter  the  mulch 
in  the  spring.  I  have  tried  Concord,  Niagara,  and  Pocklington;  have  discarded 
Niagara,  which  winter-killed  in  1898.  The  Concord  does  best  with  me,  which  I 
would  recommend  for  this  locality.  I  gather  and  market  in  twenty-five-pound 
baskets;  sell  at  four  cents  per  pound.  I  think  they  pay,  and  would  advise 
planting  extensively.  Have  never  tried  bagging  the  fruit. 

T.  J.  BBEWSTER,  Lucerne,  Sheridan  county:  I  have  thirty-six  grape-vines, 
planted  on  upland  loam  having  a  hard  subsoil.  A  northeast  slope  is  preferable. 
Set  yearling  vines,  3x8  feet.  Prune  in  February.  I  have  used  a  wire  trellis, 
but  think  a  roof  [three  parallel  wires  above  the  vines]  trellis  six  feet  high  would 
be  more  satisfactory.  I  cultivate  by  turning  the  soil  over  with  a  fork.  I  do  not 
mulch,  but  irrigate  my  vines  from  a  well.  Have  tried  Concord  and  Clinton ;  dis- 
carded the  Clinton,  because  of  poor  fruit  and  numerous  sprouts  from  the  roots ; 
would  recommend  Concord  and  Worden,  as  they  are  the  most  satisfactory  in 
this  locality.  I  think  they  would  be  a  paying  crop,  and  believe,  if  the  people 
understood  growing  them,  they  would  be  planted  extensively  here. 

M.  E.  WELLS,  Smith  Center,  Smith  county :  I  set  300  grape-vines  in  1883  on 
an  eastern  slope  of  yellow  clay  having  a  silt  subsoil ;  they  lived  six  or  seven  years, 
then  commenced  to  die  out,  and  in  ten  years  they  were  all  gone.  A  twig-borer 
that  works  in  the  joints  apparently  used  up  many ;  some  died  with  scabby  roots. 
The  Catawba  grew  best,  bore  best,  and  lasted  the  longest.  I  set  two  dozen  this 
spring  (some  new-fangled  varieties  that  I  bought  of  a  tree  pedler — the  first  bill 
of  goods  I  ever  bought  of  a  tree  agent).  I  have  mulched,  but  don't  think  it  best. 
Shallow  culture,  keeping  the  ground  clean  and  nearly  level,  is  the  best  treatment ; 


84  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

prune  before  the  sap  starts  in  the  spring ;  do  not  prune  the  green  twigs.  I  do 
not  consider  them  profitable.  In  putting  up  unfermented  grape  juice,  we  set  the 
cans  in  cool  water  and  let  come  to  a  boil ;  then  seal,  while  hot. 

D.  H.  WELCH,  Macksville,  Stafford  county :   I  have  700  grape-vines  growing 
on  dark,  sandy  soil.     Plant  No.  1  one-year-old  vines,  6x10  feet;  prune  to  two 
canes  in  February ;  also  prune  some  during  summer.     My  trellis  is  made  of  wire. 
Care  for  them  with  a  five-tooth  cultivator,  which  I  think  is  best.     Do  not  mulch 
them.     Have  tried  Pocklington,  Concord,  and  Worden ;  have  discarded  none, 
but  find  the  Concord  has  done  best  so  far,  and  would  recommend  it  for  this  local- 
ity.    Gather  in  pails  and  boxes ;  dispose  of  them  in  our  home  market.     I  consider 
them  a  paying  crop.     Have  never  bagged  the  fruit.     The  main  thing  here  is  to 
cultivate  almost  constantly,  after  each  rain,  and   between  rains  to  keep  the 
weeds  down,  or  the  'hoppers  will  cut  them  off.     Have  put  up  unfermented  juice; 
I  can  it  just  the  same  as  fruit. 

W.  M.  CAMPBELL,  St.  John,  Stafford  county:  I  have  only  a  few  grape-vines, 
planted  on  creek  bottom.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  six  by  eight  feet.  Prune  in 
winter.  Use  a  three-wire  trellis;  but  stakes  are  better,  as  they  allow  regular 
ripening.  Cultivate  with  anything  to  keep  the  soil  loose  on  top.  Do  not  mulch. 
Concord  and  Moore's  Early  do  best  here.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  The 
above-named  varieties  do  well  here  with  almost  any  kind  of  culture.  We  could 
raise  grapes  by  the  million  crates,  if  we  only  had  a  market  for  them. 

H.  E.  PELTON,  St.  John,  Stafford  county:  I  have  sixty  grape-vines  growing 
on  level,  sandy  soil.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  twelve  feet  apart,  in  rows  fifteen 
feet  apart.  Prune  in  February ;  also  a  little  in  summer.  For  a  trellis  I  use  posts 
and  wires  running  lengthwise  of  the  rows.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  harrow;  I 
think  that  tool  best.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Moore's  Early, 
Niagara,  Worden,  Agawam,  and  Isabella.  Have  discarded  none.  I  would  rec- 
ommend Concord  and  Moore's  Early,  as  they  are  the  most  successful  here. 
Gather  the  fruit  in  baskets ;  sell  in  local  markets,  receiving  four  cents  per  pound 
for  the  early  grapes,  and  three  cents  per  pound  for  the  late  ones.  I  do  not  con- 
sider them  a  good,  paying  crop,  and  would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  Have 
never  sacked  the  fruit.  My  first  planting  was  all  Concords,  which  killed  back  to 
the  ground  every  winter  for  five  or  six  years;  they  finally  made  a  good  growth, 
and  have  done  fairly  well  since,  and  the  last  two  years  have  borne  reasonably 
well.  Three  years  ago  I  planted  Concord  and  Moore's  Early ;  both  varieties  bore 
some  fruit  the  second  season,  and  were  well  loaded  last  season.  The  other  varie- 
ties are  not  yet  in  bearing. 

E.  T.  WRIGHT,  Seward,  Stafford  county:    I  have  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  Con- 
cord grapes,  planted  on  a  dark,  sandy  loam  sloping  to  the  east ;  the  vines  are  set 
six  feet  apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  eight  feet  apart.     Cultivate  with  a  five- 
toothed  harrow ;  prune  in  February ;  cut  back  to  two  buds ;  my  trellis  is  of  posts 
and  two  wires.     I  do  not  summer  prune,  as  I  like  lots  of  leaves  and  vines ;  the 
birds  do  not  eat  the  fruit  eo  badly.     Have  never  bagged  grapes,  but  would  advise 
it,  as  the  bags  would  protect  them  from  the  birds.     Gather  them  in  baskets. 

C.  E.  VAN  METER,  Johnson,  Stanton  county:  My  vines  were  set  out  this 
spring,  (1901)  on  sandy  loam.  I  prefer  a  northern  slope.  Set  yearling  vines  from 
cuttings,  about  eight  feet  apart.  Pruning  should  be  done  closely  during  winter. 
For  a  trellis,  I  use  single  stakes  five  feet  high.  Till  with  a  cultivator  and  hoe. 
A  five-tooth  cultivator  is  the  best  tool.  I  think  mulching  advisable.  Have  tried 
only  Concord,  but  almost  any  variety  will  do  well  here  after  it  is  once  started, 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  85 

but  they  need  irrigation  at  the  start.  They  are  a  very  profitable  crop.  I  would 
advisefcextensive  planting  here,  if  fixed  so  you  can  irrigate,  which  can  be  done 
from  wells.  Have  never  sacked  the  fruit.  The  large  fox  grape  grows  wild  on 
the  Cimarron  river  south  of  here. 

D.f M.  ADAMS,  Rome,  Sumner  county :  I  have  about  one-eighth  of  an  acre  of 
grapes,  planted  on  level  land,  which  are  Concord,  Agawam,  Catawba,  Martha 
Washington,  and  Worden.  Would  advise  planting  the  above  list,  excepting 
Worden.  I  prefer  one-  or  two-year-old  vines,  set  eight  feet  apart.  Cultivate 
with  a£horse  cultivator.  Prune  during  the  winter,  usually  in  February.  My 
trellis  is  posts  and  two  wires.  I  never  summer  prune.  Have  bagged  a  few 
bunches  to  protect  them  from  the  birds.  Birds  are  our  greatest  drawback. 

GEO.  W.  BAILEY,  Wellington,  Sumner  county:  I  have  400  vines,  on  upland 
having  a  southern  slope.  The  varieties  are  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early, 
and  I  recommend  them  all.  Plant  one-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart  each  way. 
Cultivate  with  a  one-horse  cultivator.  Prune  late  in  the  fall.  Use  a  two-wire 
trellis.  I  do  not  summer  prune — want  the  leaves  to  protect  the  fruit  from  the 
sun.  Have  never  bagged  any.  Market  them  at  home.  Think  they  pay.  Have 
never  had  a  failure  of  grapes  since  my  first  crop,  in  1874. 

ISAAC  FLOOD,  Colby,  Thomas  county:  I  have  twenty-four  vines  growing  on 
bottom  land  sloping  to  the  north,  which  I  think  preferable  here.  Set  two-year- 
old  vines,  8x8  feet.  Prune  during  summer  to  remove  suckers  and  shorten  back. 
My  trellis  is  posts  and  smooth  wire.  A  five-tooth  cultivator  and  one-horse  plow 
are  the  best  implements  for  tillage.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Moore's  Dia- 
mond,|Niagara,  and  Concord;  discarded  all  but  Concord,  as  they  were  too  ten- 
der. I  would  recommend  the  Concord  for  this  locality.  I  have  none  for  market. 
They^pay  in  the  pleasure  of  seeing  them  grow.  Would  not  advise  extensive 
planting  here. 

M.  L.  LACEY,  Colby,  Thomas  county:  I  have  only  ten  vines,  planted  on  clay 
loam.  Set  two-  or  three-year-old  vines.  Prune  any  time  from  November  to 
February.  Have  tried  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Brighton,  and  Niagara.  Am 
going  to  put  out  some  two-year-old  Concords  this  spring  [1901]. 

— ,  Colby,  Thomas  county:  I  have  six  vines,  planted  on  level  up- 
land; the  vines  need  a  windbreak  to  protect  them,  as  so  much  wind  wears  them 
out.  I  have  planted  several  times,  and  find  that  young  vines  live  best.  Set 
them  six  feet  apart.  Prune  in  February,  leaving  two  buds.  I  find  slats  and 
posts  make  the  best  trellis.  Cultivate  with  a  hoe,  to  keep  the  weeds  down.  Do 
not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord  ;  I  do  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop  here,  and 
would  not  advise  extensive  planting.  I  have  never  sacked  the  fruit,  but  think  it 
would  pay,  as  the  grapes  always  set  well,  but  the  grasshoppers  and  insects  eat 
them  up  before  they  mature.  I  irrigate  my  vines. 

E.  W.  O'TOOLE,  Collyer,  Trego  county:  I  have  about  fifty  grape-vines, 
planted  on  a  southern  slope.  My  variety  is  Concord.  I  would  recommend  only 
hardy  varieties.  I  prefer  two-year-old  vines,  planted  four  feet  apart.  I  mulch 
my  vines.  Prune  them  the  first  of  April.  My  trellis  is  three  feet  high. 

G.  T.  GALLOWAY,  Wa  Keeney,  Trego  county:  I  have  175  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  level  bottom  land;  they  are  Concord,  Niagara,  and  Pocklington;  would 
recommend  higher  land,  as  the  spring  frosts  kill  the  crop.  Prefer  one-year-old 
vines,  'set  8x16  feet.  Cultivate  with  plow  and  harrow.  Prune  in  February. 


86  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Trellis  is  made  of  posts  acd  two  or  three  wires.  I  never  tried  summer  pruning. 
Do  not  bag  them.  Market  my  grapes  at  Wa  Keeney.  I  do  not  consider  them  a 
paying  crop  on  bottom  land. 

C.  C.  COOK,  Bradford,  Wabaunsee  county:  I  have  100  grape-vines  growing 
on  upland  having  a  northeast  slope.  My  varieties  are:  Concord,  Niagara, 
Moore's  Diamond,  Moore's  Early,  Pocklington,  Worden,  Ives,  Clinton,  and 
McPike.  The  lyes  may  not  be  true  to  name;  I  would  recommend  all  the 
varieties  named  except  Ives.  I  have  been  experimenting  with  McPike,  which 
had  forty  bunches  on  a  vine  three  years  old.  I  put  out  in  spring  of  1898  a  one- 
year-old  McPike  grape-vine;  last  spring  (1900)  I  trimmed  it  to  one  arm,  and  it 
broke  forth  in  fourteen  shoots,  and,  on  July  28,  was  carrying  forty  fine  bunches. 
I  plant  one-year-old  vines.  Set  them  eight  and  ten  feet,  in  single  rows,  in  the  or~ 
chard.  Cultivate  with  a  disk  and  five-tooth  cultivator  and  double-shovel. 
Prune  when  the  vines  are  dormant,  leaving  two  eyes  to  the  cane.  My  trellis  is 
of  wire,  on  six-foot  posts.  Summer  prune  when  there  is  an  excessive  growth  and 
danger  of  the  crop  being  robbed.  Never  bag  my  grapes,  as  the  market  will  not 
warrant  it.  Gather  by  snapping  off  the  bunches.  Market  in  twenty-pound  bas- 
kets, and  sell  at  home.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  I  have  put  up  unfer- 
mented  grape  juice  and  shall  put  up  some  this  year.  Press  the  grapes  in  a 
cider-mill,  and  boil,  skim  and  seal  up  the  juice  without  sweetening. 

C.  C.  GARDINER,  Bradford,  Wabaunsee  county:  I  have  1200  grapes  in  Shaw- 
nee  county  and  200  in  Wabaunsee  county,  planted  on  black  loam  having  a  south- 
ern slope.  My  varieties  are  Concord,  Catawba,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Clinton. 
Have  discarded  Catawba  because  it  was  not  hardy,  Dracut  Amber  not  fruitful, 
Clinton  was  too  poor.  Would  recommend  Concord,  as  it  is  hardy,  prolific,  sure 
to  bear,  and  reliable.  Would  plant  one-  and  two-year-old  vines,  8x10  feet;  till 
with  a  cultivator  and  hoe.  Prune  in  the  spring,  just  before  the  sap  starts.  My 
trellis  is  of  posts  and  smooth  wire ;  the  top  wire  is  five  feet  from  the  ground.  I 
do  not  summer  prune;  I  do  not  consider  it  necessary,  and  think  the  leaves  are 
needed  to  help  mature  the  fruit.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit,  and  would  not 
advise  it,  as  we  get  good  enough  fruit  without,  and  it  would  not  pay.  I  cut  with 
shears,  and  place  in  ten-  to  twenty-pound  baskets,  and  market  at  home;  people 
come  for  them.  They  do  not  pay  well,  as  a  rule.  I  have  put  up  unfermented 
grape  juice;  press  the  juice  from  the  fruit,  heat,  and  hermetically  seal. 

C.  H.  TAYLOR,  Eskridge,  Wabaunsee  county :  I  have  one-half  acre  of  grapes, 
planted  on  limestone  land  sloping  to  the  northeast.  Varieties  tried  are  Concord, 
Moore's  Early,  Niagara,  Ives.  Delaware,  Catawba,  Dracut  Amber,  and  Worden. 
Have  discarded  all  excepting  the  three  first ;  they  are  tender  and  unproductive. 
Would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Niagara.  Plant  strong  one- 
year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  shallow,  with  five-tooth  cultivator  and 
harrow.  Prune  in  December  and  January,  and  some  in  summer,  to  promote 
growth  and  ripening  of  fruit.  My  trellis  is  strong  wire.  Have  bagged  to  protect 
specimens,  but  do  not  advise  it,  as  it  is  too  expensive.  Cut  with  long  stems  and 
handle  carefully;  pack  in  shallow  boxes;  market  at  home,  or  local  markets. 
They  aggregate  $150  per  acre;  I  consider  them  a  fairly  good,  paying  crop.  I 
sometimes  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  press  the  juice  from  fresh  grapes 
and  seal  scalding  hot  in  bottles  or  jars. 

M.  T.  GRIGGS,  Wallace,  Wallace  county :  I  have  only  fifteen  vines,  planted  in 
nice  sandy  loam  on  high  land,  sixty  feet  to  water.  Have  had  very  good  success 
with  the  Concord.  Plant  two-year-old  vines,  eight  to  ten  feet  apart.  Cultivate 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  87 

with  a  harrow  and  hoe.  Prune  in  February;  have  not  summer  pruned  for  lack 
of  time.  I  think  a  trellis  made  of  lumber  best.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop. 
My  vines  were  full  this  year  and  the  bunches  fine;  but  the  grasshoppers  game, 
and  they  seem  to  be  fond  of  grapes,  for  they  ate  them  up.  [Why  not  try  bag- 
ging?] 

J.  B.  AVERY,  Clifton,  Washington  county:  Have  800  grape-vines,  planted  on 
a  southern  slope;  they  are  Concord,  Worden,  Elvira,  Moore's  Early,  and  about 
twenty  others ;  I  would  recommend  first  Concord,  then  Worden.  I  prefer  strong 
one-year-old  vines,  planted  eight  feet  apart;  cultivate  with  Planet  Jr.  horse  hoe; 
prune  in  spring,  just  before  the  sap  starts.  I  summer  prune  only  a  little,  from 
lack  of  time.  I  prefer  eight-  and  ten-pound  baskets  for  marketing.  I  sell  at 
Clifton.  I  do  not  consider  them  a  paying  crop  when  time  and  expenses  are 
counted. 

WILLIAM  YOUND,  Brantford,  Washington  county :  I  have  a  half-acre  of  grape- 
vines, on  eastern  and  western  slopes.  I  have  Concord  and  some  other  varieties; 
I  prefer  the  Concord.  I  prefer  one-year-old  layers,  planted  six  feet  in  the  row, 
and  the  rows  eight  feet  apart.  If  I  was  planting  a  new  vineyard,  I  would  set 
them  6  x  12  feet,  so  they  could  be  cultivated  more  easily ;  use  a  two-horse  culti- 
vator. Prune  any  time  during  winter  when  they  are  not  frozen,  or  any  time  in 
the  spring  before  the  sap  starts.  I  have  a  three-wire  trellis.  I  never  prune  in 
summer,  as  the  sun  would  burn  the  fruit.  Have  never  bagged  grapes;  think  the 
cost  would  overrun  the  profit.  Cut  the  bunches  with  a  knife,  and  market  in  two- 
handled  baskets  at  Clifton  and  neighborhood.  I  think  them  a  good,  paying  crop. 

A.  E.  HOUGHTON,  Linn,  Washington  county:  My  soil  is  level,  black  loam. 
Raise  Concords  for  family  use  only.  I  would  recommend  this  variety,  as  it  is  the 
only  one  I  have  tried.  Set  two-year-old  vines,  eight  feet  apart  each  way.  Have 
been  mulching  them,  but  would  not  recommend  it.  Prune  in  February,  with 
pruning  shears.  My  trellis  is  made  of  posts  and  wires.  Summer  prune  the 
vines  when  I  have  time,  as  I  think  it  throws  strength  into  the  grapes.  Have 
never  bagged  any,  but  think  it  a  good,  thing.  It  would  protect  them  from  birds 
and  give  them  a  better  flavor.  In  gathering,  I  cut  the  bunches  with  small  prun- 
ing shears  and  lay  in  baskets.  Think  them  a  good,  paying  crop.  I  think  it  best 
to  cultivate  the  ground  and  keep  it  clean  and  loose,  on  account  of  crab-grass.  I 
mulch  mine,  but  that  brings  the  roots  too  near  the  surface. 

THOMAS  BROWN,  Palmer,  Washington  county:  I  have  300  Concord  .grape 
vines,  planted  on  a  stiff,  black  soil.  Would  recommend  this  variety,  with  which 
I  have  had  good  success.  Set  my  vines  ten  feet  apart.  Mulch  in  the  spring. 
Prune  in  the  spring  before  the  sap  starts.  My  trellis  is  of  posts  and  wire.  Have 
never  bagged  my  grapes.  Gather  in  twenty-five-pound  baskets  and  market  at 
home.  Receive  one  and  one- half  to  three  cents  per  pound.  I  consider  them  a 
good,  paying  crop.  My  vines  were  all  killed  down  two  years  ago,  but  I  cut 
them  off  at  the  ground  and  they  have  made  fine  growth  this  year  and  have  a  few 
grapes.  They  had  borne  well  for  the  last  fifteen  years.  I  think  the  Concord 
our  best  grape,  and  a  sure  bearer  in  Washington  county. 

G.  M.  BAUM,  Washington,  Washington  county :  Have  fifty  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  sandy  loam  having  a  slight  slope  to  the  east.  Am  growing  all  the  leading 
varieties:  Concord  is  the  only  variety  that  has  paid  me;  have  experimentally 
tried  Victor,  Moore's  Early,  and  Niagara,  but  they  were  not  satisfactory.  I  plant 
two-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet;  cultivate  with  a  hoe;  prune  with  a  pruning-knife 
in  February,  and  again  in  summer,  directly  after  the  fruit  has  set,  and  pretty 


88  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

close  at  that  time ;  and  do  not  touch  them  afterwards,  so  as  to  weaken  necessary 
shade.  My  trellis  is  made  of  wire,  drawn  as  tightly  as  possible.  I  have  not 
bagged  my  grapes,  but  would  advise  it,  as  I  think  the  fruit  better,  particularly 
if  season  is  dry.  I  think  them  a  paying  crop.  Have  put  up  unfermented  grape 
juice;  bring  the  grapes  to  boiling-point,  and  skim;  put  a  tablespoonful  of  sugar 
to  a  quart  of  juice,  and  seal  up  in  glass  cans.  Do  n't  think  it  a  good  plan  to  cul- 
tivate between  the  rows  more  than  once  every  two  years;  then  hoe,  and  keep 
every  weed  down.  Grape  roots  are  so  near,  the  surface,  and  extend  out  so  far, 
that  I  don't  think  it  a  good  plan  to  tear  them  up  and  expose  roots  too  often. 
However,  if  not  too  heavily  fruited,  give  the  ground  a  good  tearing  up  every 
other  year,  and  keep  always  perfectly  free  from  weeds. 

F.  SEIFERTH,  Strawberry,  Washington  county:  I  have  about  650  grape-vines, 
planted  on  land  which  slopes  gradually  to  the  east.  My  varieties  are  Concord, 
Elvira,  Ives,  and  Clinton.  Would  recommend  Concord  and  Elvira.  I  prefer 
two-year-old  vines,  set  six  feet  square.  Prune  in  February  and  March.  My 
trellis  is  of  posts  and  three  wires.  Sometimes  I  summer  prune,  clipping  the  ends 
if  they  are  growing  too  rank,  but  this  is  seldom.  Have  never  bagged  the  fruit. 
Gather  in  twenty-pound  baskets,  and  market  at  home.  Have  realized  $100  and 
over  per  acre.  I  consider  them  a  paying  crop.  I  mulch  my  vines  with  prairie 
hay,  which  lasts  two  years ;  then  I  rake  the  mulch  in  to  the  vines  and  cultivate 
with  a  hoe  one  year;  then  give  them  a  good  mulching  again.  I  have  good  suc- 
cess and  raise  a  full  crop  almost  every  year ;  my  vines  are  always  in  good  condi- 
tion; grow  from  eight  to  fourteen  feet  during  a  season.  Have  an  immense  crop 
this  year  (1900)  —  large  clusters  and  large  berries. 

JOHN  C.  FORD,  Leoti,  Wichita  county :  I  have  only  a  few  Concord  grapes, 
which  have  just  commenced  bearing.  They  are  planted  on  level  land.  I  think 
grapes  would  be  a  success  here  if  we  irrigated  them. 

R.  O.  GRAHAM,  Altoona,  Wilson  county :  I  have  150  grape-vines,  planted  on 
sandy  loam  having  a  clay  subsoil.  I  think  slope  makes  very  little  difference,  but 
northeast  is  preferable.  Set  the  young  vines  8  xlO  feet.  Prune  severely  in  Feb- 
ruary; also  pinch  them  back  during  the  summer.  I  use  a  wire  trellis.  Culti- 
vate with  a  spade  and  hoe,  and  keep  them  mulched  with  straw;  a  plow  and 
corn-cultivator  are  the  best  implements  for  this  work.  Have  tried  Concord  and 
Niagara,  which  do  well  here;  the  former  is  preferable.  Pick  by  hand  into  the 
baskets  in  which  they  are  to  be  marketed ;  sell  at  home,  usually  receiving  from 
three  to  four  cents  per  pound ;  and  sometimes  five  cents,  for  green  ones.  They 
pay  fairly  well,  but  I  would  not  advise  very  extensive  planting.  Have  never 
sacked  the  fruit. 

JOHN  A.  MAGILL,  Roper,  Wilson  county :  I  put  out  one  and  one-half  acres 
of  grape-vines  several  years  ago  on  red  soil,  but  have  let  them  run  down.  I  think 
slope  makes  a  difference ;  a  southeastern  is  preferable.  Set  yearling  vines,  six 
feet  each  way.  Prune  to  one  bud.  For  a  trellis  I  use  stakes  two  feet  high. 
Till  shallow,  with  a  five-toothed  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Dracut 
Amber,  Concord,  Clinton,  Delaware,  and  Norton's  Virginia.  Have  discarded  all 
of  these  excepting  Concord,  for  want  of  a  good  market,  as  we  depend  on  our  home 
market,  where  we  receive  from  one  and  one-half  to  two  cents  per  pound.  I  do 
not  consider  them  profitable,  and  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  here. 
Have  never  sacked  the  fruit. 

A.  J.  JONES,  Yates  Center,  Woodson  county :  I  have  forty  grape-vines  grow- 
ing on  sandy  soil.  I  think  an  eastern  slope  best.  Set  one-year-old  vines,  six  feet 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  8& 

apart;  prune  early  in  the  spring;  use  posts  and  wires  for  a  tpellis;  cultivate  with 
a  double-shovel  plow  and  a  hoe;  do  not  mulch.  Have  tried  Concord,  Niagara, 
Clinton,  Delaware,  Goethe,  and  Moore's;  have  discarded  Clinton,  as  it  is 
poor-flavored.  Concord  is  the  best  variety  for  this  locality;  I  would  recommend 
it  and  Goethe  and  Niagara.  I  would  not  advise  extensive  planting  here  unless 
the  culture  and  weather  improve.  Have  tried  sacking  the  fruit  and  think  it 
pays.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice;  can  it  in  fruit  cans.  Prospect  for 
grapes  in  this  county  seems  to  be  good.  More  systematic  culture  of  grape-vines 
would  improve  the  growth.  I  think  the  soil  and  climate  adapted  to  grape  cul- 
ture, but  our  people  need  more  education  along  this  line. 

A.  CHANDLER,  Argentine,  Wyandotte  county:  I  have  six  acres  of  grape- 
vines growing  on  clay  upland.  Prefer  an  eastern  slope.  Set  yearling  vines,  7x8 
feet.  Prune  in  November,  to  three  canes.  I  also  prune  the  rank  growth  during 
summer,  beyond  the  fourth  leaf.  Use  a  three-wire  trellis.  Cultivate  my  vines 
shallow  with  a  plow  and  seven-tooth  harrow  ;  a  five- or  seventh-tooth  cultivator 
is  the  best  implement  for  this  work.  Do  not  mulch  the  vines.  Have  tried 
Champion,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Concord,  Niagara,  Moore's  Diamond,  Dela- 
ware, and  Wyoming.  Have  discarded  Champion,  Hartford  Prolific,  and  Dela- 
ware, as  we  have  better  varieties  than  these.  Moore's  Early  and  Concord  do 
best  here.  Use  eight-  and  eleven-pound  baskets  for  marketing  the  fruit  in;  the 
latter  is  preferable ;  sell  in  Kansas  City,  receiving  one  and  one-half  to  two  cents 
per  pound  for  them.  They  are  profitable,  but  I  would  not  advise  extensive 
planting.  I  have  sacked  the  fruit,  but  not  to  any  extent ;  it  would  pay  at  two 
and  one-half  cents  per  pound.  We  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  —  first  press 
out  the  juice  and  then  heat  to  200  degrees  and  seal  tight. 

W.  D.  CELLAR,  Edwardsville,  Wyandotte  county :  Have  one  acre  of  grape- 
vines growing  on  clay  subsoil  sloping  to  the  east.  They  are  Concord,  Elvira, 
Goethe,  Champion,  Dracut  Amber,  Moore's  Early,  and  Worden.  Will  discard 
Elvira  and  Champion — poor  quality;  Goethe,  not  hardy;  and  Dracut  Amber,  not 
productive.  Would  recommend  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  and  Worden.  I  set 
one-year-old  vines,  8x8  feet.  My  vineyard  is  seeded  down  to  clover  and  has  been 
for  four  years.  Prune  any  time  in  winter ;  cut  away  all  I  dare,  "and  then  some." 
Do  not  summer  prune.  My  trellis  is  wire.  Cannot  afford  to  bag  my  grapes. 
Hire  girls  to  cut  my  grapes,  at  one  cent  per  eight-pound  basket.  Market  in  west- 
ern Kansas  and  Colorado,  realizing  all  the  way  from  nothing  to  fifty  dollars  per 
acre.  I  have  a  neighbor  who  has  made  it  pay.  Grapes  are  rotting  badly  in  this 
locality  this  year  (1900),  probably  due  to  excessive  rain. 

MA j.  FRANK  HOLSINGER,  Rosedale,  Wyandotte  county :  I  have  seven  acres  of 
grapes,  planted  on  clay  and  second-bottom  alluvial  soil.  Some  are  on  an  eastern 
and  some  on  a  southern  slope,  and  some  on  the  hilltop,  but  can  see  no  differ- 
ence. Set  one-year-old  vines,  8 x8  feet  apart.  Prune  during  the  winter,  when  I 
can  do  little  else,  by  leaving  not  more  than  three  vines  for  bearing.  Have 
pruned  during  summer,  but  see  no  good  results.  Don't  think  it  pays.  My  trel- 
lis is  made  of  seven-foot  posts  and  No.  12  wire.  Till  them  about  the  same  as  I  do 
corn,  with  a  double-shovel  or  common  cultivator.  Do  not  mulch.  Have  tried 
Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  Champion,  Catawba,  Early  Ohio,  Delaware, 
Elvira,  Wyoming  Red,  Hicks,  and  Niagara.  Have  discarded  all  excepting  Wor- 
den, Concord,  Champion,  and  Moore's  Early,  as  they  were  unprofitable  for  mar- 
ket. The  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Worden  and  Champion  do  best  here,  and  I 
would  recommend  the  same  for  this  locality.  Gather  in  peck  baskets,  and  sell 
in  open  packages  from  the  wagon  on  public  square  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  realizing" 


90  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

from  one  to  five  cents  per  pound.  They  pay  even  at  two  cents,  as  they  are  a  sure 
crop.  I  would  advise  planting  extensively  if  you  live  near  enough  to  market  to 
reach  it  with  your  own  team.  I  have  used  paper  bags  for  several  years  past,  on 
account  of  the  birds,  insects,  and  rot;  could  not  succeed  without.  The  grapes 
should  be  sacked  soon  after  the  blossoms  fall — the  sooner  the  better — or  bac- 
teria germs  get  possession  and  the  grapes  are  likely  to  scab  and  rot.  Many  fail 
because  they  defer  too  long  before  putting  on  the  sacks.  We  put  up  unfer- 
mented  grape  juice  by  pressing  out  the  juice,  bring  to  boiling-point,  and  hermet- 
ically seal.  Use  glass  jars  —  little  trouble  and  no  loss.  Juice  thus  kept  is 
healthful  and  palatable. 


GRAPE  GROWING  IN  SOUTHERN  KANSAS. 

By  P.  C.  BOWEN,  Cherryvale. 

Experience  during  the  last  twenty  years  with  the  grape  has  taught  me  that 
only  hardy  varieties  can  be  successfully  grown  in  this  part  of  the  state  with 
profit  to  the  producer,  and  then  on  specially  favorable  locations;  high,  rolling? 
sandy,  or  gravelly  soils,  overlooking  large  bodies  of  water  (the  larger  the  better), 
are  much  the  best.  Before  planting,  the  soil  should  be  deeply  and  thoroughly 
plowed  and  subsoiled  as  deeply  as  possible,  and  only  the  most  hardy  varieties, 
those  usually  termed  "  iron-clads,"  are  preferable ;  black  grapes  are  best  and  most 
satisfactory,  giving  uniformly  good  results.  Good,  strong  two-year-old  plants 
only  should  be  used  in  setting  the  vineyard,  after  which  it  should  be  thoroughly 
and  frequently  cultivated  all  of  the  first  season  after  transplanting,  the  tops 
allowed  to  grow  as  they  please,  and  only  pruned  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  and 
the  sap  has  gone  down  into  the  roots  in  the  following  fall  or  winter,  when  they 
would  be  cut  back  to  three  canes  containing  several  buds  each;  two  for  side 
arms,  on  opposite  sides,  and  one  for  an  upright  cane,  in  the  center.  During  the 
following  winter,  or  very  early  in  the  spring,  posts  at  least  six  feet  long  should 
be  firmly  and  securely  set,  one  at  about  eight  feet  from  the  end  of  each  row 
and  securely  braced  lengthwise  of  the  rows,  and  good,  strong  galvanized  wires 
should  be  tightly  stretched,  and  nailed  with  fence  staples,  from  one  end  of  each 
row  to  the  other.  The  first  wire  should  be  placed  about  fourteen  inches  from 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  at  least  three  additional  wires,  fourteen  inches 
apart,  should  also  be  securely  fastened  to  the  posts,  as  above  stated,  thereby  form- 
ing a  trellis  to  train  the  canes  upon.  Tie  the  canes  to  the  lower  wire,  not  too 
tightly,  else  when  they  grow  the  twine  used  will  cut  off  the  canes.  Wool  twine 
or  some  other  kind  of  soft,  strong  twine  is  the  best  and  most  satisfactory  for  the 
purpose. 

Cultivate  thoroughly  and  frequently  between  the  rows  with  a  Planet  Jr. 
horse  hoe,  about  three  inches  deep,  during  the  season,  using  a  hand  hoe  around 
the  vines  and  between  each  post  of  the  trellis,  to  keep  down  all  weeds  and  grass 
and  form  a  soil  mulch  around  the  grape- vines.  Should  any  fruit  bunches  form 
the  first  or  second  season  after  transplanting,  pinch  them  off  while  young  and 
tender,  as  if  left  to  mature  on  the  vines  they  will  weaken  their  vitality  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  materially  injure  succeeding  crops,  and  be  of  but  little  value  to 
the  grower.  Clip  off  all  laterals  just  above  the  first  leaf  as  fast  as  fully  formed, 
until  the  third  year  after  transplanting.  Prune  off  all  surplus  wood  (leaving 
only  one  strong  bud  in  a  place  on  each  main  cane )  in  the  winter  season,  as  above 
noted,  and  you  may  be  reasonably  sure  of  an  excellent  crop  of  choice  grapes  each 
year  that  you  continue  to  do  your  whole  duty  by  your  vineyard.  Thorough  and 
clean  cultivation  and  both  winter  and  summer  pruning  should  be  persistently 
kept  up  in  the  vineyard ;  also  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  in  the  early  spring 
before  the  buds  start,  should  be  kept  up  during  the  entire  life  of  the  vineyard. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  91 

VINEYARDS. 

By  GEORGE  HOLSINGEE,  Rosedale,  Wyandotte  county. 

Of  all  the  fruits  with  which  I  have  had  experience,  I  know  of  none  more  sat- 
isfactory in  results  or  that  will  respond  to  the  efforts  of  the  horticulturist  better 
than  the  grape.  It  is  easily  cared  for,  requires  comparatively  little  cultivation, 
yields  generously,  is  very  popular  as  a  table  fruit,  is  easily  picked  and  marketed, 
and  has  the  supreme  good  quality  of  not  requiring  immediate  marketing  when 
ripe. 

The  cultivation  of  the  grape  requires  an  ordinary  use  of  plow  and  hoe.  Our 
v  ineyards  receive  seven  or  eight  plowings  and  two  or  three  hofeings  a  season.  The 
first  plowing  of  the  season  is  done  with  the  eight-inch  diamond  plow,  and  the  dirt 
is  thrown  to  the  grapes.  This  covers  all  the  weeds,  refuse  or  manure  that  may 
be  on  the  surface,  and  leaves  a  narrow  ridge  in  the  row  to  be  hoed.  All  subse- 
quent plowings  are  done  with  the  double-shovel,  or  five-toothed-cultivator,  and 
as  often  as  is  necessary  to  keep  down  the  weeds  and  the  soil  mellow. 

Methods  of  pruning  are  many,  and  I  suppose  about  equally  good,  each 
grape  grower  using  his  own  preferred  method.  Our  method  is  a  combination  of 
the  upright  and  horizontal  systems,  and  is  intended  to  distribute  the  fruit  and 
foliage  so  that  the  grapes  will  not  burn  for  want  of  shade  or  become  spotted  and 
rot  under  too  dense  foliage.  The  trunk  is  not  allowed  to  become  more  than  a 
foot  in  length,  and  from  this  six  or  seven  shoots  are  allowed  to  grow  throughout 
the  season,  except  in  heavy  soils,  when  summer  pruning  becomes  necessary  to 
prevent  too  dense  shade.  At  the  end  of  the  season,  when  the  trimming  is  done, 
the  canes  are  reduced  to  four  in  number  and  are  cut  back  to  about  four  feet  in 
length,  leaving  perhaps  forty  eyes.  These  are  now  spread  out  fan-shaped  on  the 
wires  and  tied  securely  to  the  top  wire  by  willow  withes.  Willow  is-  used  because 
it  is  cheap  and  more  quickly  applied  than  pawpaw  or  string.  One  should  be  care- 
ful in  tying  to  see  that  all  vines  are  tied  close  to  the  lower  wire,  to  prevent  injur- 
ing from  a  long  singletree  in  the  hands  of  a  careless  driver.  The  lower  wire  is 
usually  thirty-six  inches  from  the  ground  and  the  upper  one  four  to  ten  inches 
above  that,  so  that  the  top  wire  should  be  at  least  forty-five  inches  from  the 
ground.  My  reason  for  having  a  high  lower  wire  is  to  keep  the  fruit  high  above 
any  weed  that  may  get  a  start  in  the  rush  of  berry  picking  or  in  a  wet  season. 

In  planting,  I  would  prefer  a  gentle  slope  to  level  upland  or  bottom,  unless  the 
upland  be  thin.  Thin  land,  heavily  manured,  is  better  than  heavy  soil,  and,  in 
particular,  the  land  should  be  thoroughly  drained.  We  plant  in  rows,  seven  or 
eight  feet  apart,  and  the  same  distance  between  vines.  This  gives  each  plant 
plenty  of  room,  and  insures  a  passageway  for  wagons  in  collecting  the  picked 
fruit,  as  also  for  manuring.  Suppose  you  desire  to  plant  a  vineyard  eight  feet 
each  way,  with  rows  running  north  and  south.  First,  mark  off  your  rows 
eight  feet  apart,  east  and  west,  with  a  marker;  next,  run  a  cotton  string  the  en- 
tire length  of  the  field  north  and  south  where  the  first  row  is  to  be  located. 
This  will  give  the  exact  location  of  every  plant  in  the  first  row,  the  points  being 
at  the  intersection  of  your  string  and  row  mark.  Now  make  your  hole  in  the 
shape  of  a  triangle,  with  your  acute  angle  at  the  intersection  of  your  string  and 
row  mark.  The  point  where  the  plant  is  to  rest  next  the  string  should  be  shal- 
low, and  eight  to  twelve  inches  in  depth  at  the  base.  This  will  give  the  plant  a 
good  setting,  will  prevent  scratching  by  careless  plowmen,  with  the  additional 
advantage  of  giving  perfectly  straight  rows,  a  point  not  to  be  overlooked  in  vine- 
yard planting. 

As  to  varieties  for  commercial  purposes,  the  Concord  should  be  classed  above 


92  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

all  others.  Moore's  Early  is  a  splendid  veariety,  and  would  be  second  on  my  list. 
Being  of  better  quality,  it  commands  two  and  one-half  to  five  cents  more  per 
ten-pound  basket  than  does  the  Concord.  Champion  is  good  only  because  it  is 
early,  but  it  must  be  marketed  as  soon  as  colored,  for  it  has  no  good  qualities  to 
recommend  it,  and  when  Moore's  begin  to  go  on  the  market  there  is  no  eale  for 
it.  In  addition,  I  might  say  that  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe  it  shrivels.  Grapes  for 
local  marketing  are  still  sold  in  pick-split  baskets,  but  there  is  a  tendency  to 
adopt  the  eight- pound  hard  basket,  because  it  can  be  shipped  without  repacking, 
is  more  easily  handled,  and,  in  addition,  it  is  about  the  size  demanded  for  family 
use.  The  result  of  this  year's  grape  crop  was  very  satisfactory  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  state;  We  had  a  good  crop,  with  good  prices.  Concord,  Moore's, 
Worden,  and  Elvira,  besides  many  other  varieties,  had  a  splendid  showing  of 
fruit.  Champion  was  remarkably  full ;  the  second  big  crop  we  have  ever  had  of 
them.  Woodruff,  though  only  one  year  planted,  had  fruit  sufficiently  plentiful 
to  warrant  planting  more  extensively.  We  had  no  grape  rot  in  our  immediate 
neighborhood,  although  the  crop  in  vineyards  at  a  distance  of  two  miles  was 
almost  entirely  destroyed.  Good,  compact  bunches,  and  plenty  of  them,  were 
more  in  evidence  than  for  at  least  three  years  previous.  As  to  the  planting  of 
fancy  table  grapes,  it  will  not  pay  unless  the  grower  can  do  his  own  marketing. 
A  few  fancy  grapes  can  be  sold  for  good  prices,  but  the  old  standbys  are  still  the 
money-makers. 


REPORT  OF  GRAPE  GROWING  IN  1900. 

Read  before  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society,  December  29, 1900,  by  A.  H .  BUCKMAN, 

of  Topeka. 

The  grape  crop  of  1900  in  Shawnee  county  was  medium.  Prices  in  Topeka, 
for  seven-  and  eight-pound  baskets,  ran  from  nine  to  eighteen  cents,  commission 
taken  out ;  commission  men  handle  most  of  ours,  saving  time  and  trouble.  We 
realized  two  cents  per  pound  for  the  whole  crop.  Grapes  had  peaches  to  con- 
tend with  this  year.  The  three  black  varieties,  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and 
Concord,  rule  the  market,  although  we  had  no  trouble  in  selling  Green  Mountain 
and  Delaware  at  double  prices,  or  half-size  baskets  at  same  price.  Woodruff 
Red  and  Moore's  Diamond  are  good  sellers,  and  will  always  find  a  market,  grown 
in  any  quantity.  The  present  season  has  been  no  exception  to  the  worst  enemy 
the  grape  grower  has,  and  that  is  the  man  who  pulls  his  grapes  green,  or  as 
soon  as  colored,  and  forces  them  upon  the  market  before  they  are  at  their  best. 
The  crop  of  1900  ripened  from  six  to  eight  days  earlier  than  in  1899. 

Bush  says  miscalled  rose-bug  is  a  leaf-eater.  This  year  it  was  more  numer- 
ous. This  is  the  third  year  it  has  troubled  us.  It  commences  its  work  the  last 
of  May  and  is  gone  by  the  last  of  July.  A  small  vineyard  near  the  house,  where 
the  poultry  runs,  is  apparently  clear  of  this  pest.  Out  of  fifty  or  more  kinds  we 
have  experimented  with  or  tested,  Green  Mountain,  Moore's  Early,  Wordenr 
Moore's  Diamond,  Concord  and  Woodruff  Red  have  paid  the  best,  and,  for  late 
home  use,  Goethe. 

We  are  more  impressed  than  ever  in  favor  of  a  black,  deep,  rich  soil,  with  clay 
subsoil,  for  grapes,  where  the  land  is  so  near  level  that  the  water  will  run  off 
without  washing.  This  kind  of  land  holds  the  foliage,  and  seems  to  resist  dis- 
eases of  vine  and  roots  better  than  loose,  sloping  land.  Our  oldest  vines,  thir- 
teen years  planted,  have  been  the  most  profitable  this  year.  We  have  been 
disappointed  in  Campbell's  Early  and  McPike ;  Campbell's  Early  cannot  com- 
pete with  Moore's  Early,  and  McPike  is  an  inferior  Concord  in  size  and  quality. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  93 


GRAPE  REPORT. 

Read  before  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society,  December  29, 1900,  by  M.  E.  CHANDLER, 

of  Argentine. 

The  grape  crop  the  past  season  was  the  largest  we  ever  handled.  Prices 
ranged  from  ten  to  twelve  cents  per  eight-pound  basket  for  Concord  and  Worden  ; 
fifteen  to  twenty  cents  for  Moore's  Early. 

Some  vineyards  on  high  prairie  land  were  badly  affected  with  black  rot;  some 
losing  the  entire  crop,  while  on  our  sandy  clay  the  rot  was  less  than  ten  per  cent. 

Spraying  would  have  been  almost  useless  this  season,  owing  to  the  excessive 
amount  of  rain  washing  it  off ;  but  when  the  seasons  are  favorable,  spraying  with 
Bordeaux  mixture  (six  pounds  copper  sulphate,  four  pounds  lime,  to  fifty  gallons 
of  water)  will  check  the  black  rot. 

We  found  the  Knapsack  sprayer  as  quick  and  as  handy  as  any  to  use  in  the 
vineyard. 

The  vines  made  an  excellent  growth  this  summer  and  are  in  fine  condition  for 
next  year. 

Grapes  should  be  sacked  for  home  use,  to  be  used  after  the  main  crop  is  gone, 
but  it  will  not  pay  for  market,  at  the  low  prices  of  the  past  few  years. 

Tender  varieties  have  almost  recovered  from  the  cold  winter  of  1898-'99. 
As  commercial  grapes,  I  would  recommend  Moore's  Early,  Worden,  and  Concord ; 
a  few  vines  of  Champion  may  be  planted  for  extra  early ;  for  red  and  pink  table 
grapes,  Moyer,  Delaware,  Lindley,  and  Goethe;  for  white,  Niagara,  Moore's 
Diamond,  and  Green  Mountain. 

Vineyards  should  be  trimmed  in  the  fall,  posts  reset,  and  not  left  until  spring, 
when  the  ground  is  cold  and  wet.  Do  as  much  work  in  the  fall  as  possible  and 
you  will  not  get  behind  with  work  in  the  spring. 

We  have  not  tested  the  new  grapes,  McPike,  Green  Mountain,  Campbell's 
Early,  and  Hicks,  enough  to  know  what  they  will  do. 


VINEYARDS,  1900. 

Read  before  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society,  December  29, 1900,  by  A.  L.  ENTSMINGEE, 
of  Silver  Lake,  Shawnee  county. 

The  fall  and  winter  of  1899-1900  was  very  favorable  for  a  good  crop;  the 
following  spring  was  also  favorable  for  the  blossoming  and  pollenizing  of  the  fruit ; 
consequently  a  large  yield  was  the  result ;  many  shoots  of  new  wood  having  three 
and  sometimes  four  or  five  bunches  flourished  and  did  well  until  about  two- thirds 
grown,  when  in  some  vineyards  not  well  cared  for  rot  was  very  noticeable,  and 
in  some  localities  the  crop  was  almost,  if  not  quite,  destroyed;  some  vineyards 
escaped  until  nearly  ripe  and  then  dropped  badly.  However,  care  and  attention, 
with  thorough  cultivation,  act  largely  as  a  preventive.  We  believe  the  later 
rotting  of  the  fruit  is  different  from  the  early  or  bird's-eye  rot,  and  will  prove  much 
more  destructive,  as  the  sprayer  cannot  be  used  when  the  fruit  is  so  nearly  ma- 
ture. As  for  my  own  vineyard,  there  was  little  reason  for  complaint,  as  there  was 
no  damage  to  the  vine  or  fruit,  excepting  a  very  little  rot  and  some  dropped  late 
in  the  season,  caused  by  a  fungus  attacking  the  stem,  which  was  so  slight  that 
we  did  not  consider  the  loss  anything.  The  older  varieties  which  suffered  the 
most  were  the  later  ones,  such  as  Elvira,  Columbian,  and  Concord.  I  grow  many 
varieties,  but  would  only  recommend  for  profit  those  well  tested,  as  nearly  all  of 
the  new  varieties  fall  far  short  of  the  introducers'  claims.  The  much-praieed 
Campbell's  Early  is  so  tender  as  to  be  practically  worthless  in  this  latitude. 


94  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Chandler's  Seedling  (a  Kansas  variety)  did  finely.  It  is  like  Pocklington,  but 
much  larger  and  of  better  flavor,  and  very  late;  Clarissa,  white,  promising, 
fruited  in  a  small  way;  Mallyey,  tender,  like  Agawam  in  all  respects;  Amelia, 
black,  a  little  tender,  very  fine  flavored,  have  fruited  it  twice;  Chicago,  have 
fruited  it  twice,  much  like  Delaware,  good  grower;  Tennison,  white,  too  tender. 
The  above  five  varieties  were  received  from  Michigan  for  testing.  Some  of  them 
are  very  promising.  Bonnie  Doon  is  a  perfect  Brighton,  ripening  in  October, 
have  fruited  it  twice,  very  promising,  a  little  tender ;  Souvenir,  white,  has  not 
done  well;  Genevra,  fruited  twice,  very  fine,  very  large,  white,  good,  and  very 
compact  in  bunch,  ripe  in  October,  fine  flavor,  hardy  as  Concord,  and  a  good 
grower.  I  think  it  safe  to  recommend  this  variety.  The  three  above-mentioned 
varieties  are  undisseminated ;  I  received  them  from  Michigan  on  restriction. 
Chidester's  Seedling,  has  fruited  one  vine  three  seasons,  berry  and  fruit  about 
the  size  but  two  weeks  later  than  Concord,  about  the  color  of  Catawba.  This 
promises  to  be  an  all-round,  first-class  grape,  and  if  it  is  as  satisfactory  hereafter 
as  it  has  been  thus  far,  I  will  not  fear  to  recommend  it  in  this  latitude. 

Of  the  very  recent  introductions  that  we  are  testing  are :  McPike,  a  very  poor 
grower,  have  had  it  two  seasons,  and,  with  all  the  care  and  attention  that  we 
could  bestow  upon  it,  we  could  not  make  it  reach  the  trellis;  the  Hicks,  have 
had  it  two  years,  has  made  a  very  fine  growth ;  I  got  it  onto  the  trellis  the  first 
season,  and  last  season  it  bore  a  bunch  of  three  grapes;  the  St.  Louis  is  another 
very  fine  grower,  have  had  it  two  seasons,  not  fruited  yet.  The  two  last  named 
are  the  production  of  Henry  Wallis,  Wellston,  Mo. 

The  yield  of  grapes  varied  much,  the  highest  being  about  four  tons  per  acre. 
Prices  were  very  good,  ten  cents  per  basket  being  the  lowest ;  yet  first-class,  well- 
packed  grapes  did  not  go  below  twelve  cents  per  eight-pound  basket.  Moore's 
Early  brought  the  best  price,  closely  followed  by  Worden,  Concord,  and  Telegraph. 

Vineyards  are  now  in  very  fine  condition ;  perhaps  never  more  promising  at 
this  season  of  the  year. 


DISCUSSION. 

The  following  is  a  part  of  the  discussion  on  grapes  by  members,  at  the  thirty- 
fourth  annual  meeting  of  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society : 

SENATOR  TAYLOR,  Wyandotte  county :  I  notice  that  some  one  claims  that 
people  rush  their  grapes  onto  the  market  before  they  are  ripe.  I  do  not  see  how 
that  is  detrimental.  Now,  people  in  town  know  as  well  as  those  in  the  country 
that  such  grapes  are  not  ripe.  The  Champion  is  taken  to  market  as  soon  as  it 
colors,  and  they  are  not  fit  to  eat.  I  cannot  see  why  grapes  placed  on  the  market 
before  they  are  ripe  should  have  any  effect  on  the  general  market. 

J.  L.  WILLIAMS,  Wyandotte  county :  I  market  grapes  when  half  ripe  and  still 
sour ;  there  are  many  people  who  desire  grapes  when  they  first  come  to  market, 
even  if  not  yet  ripe.  Half-ripe  grapes  are  all  right  for  cooking.  Considering  the 
use  to  which  unripe  grapes  are  put,  I  do  not  see  how  the  market  is  injured  by 
their  being  sold. 

G.  F.  ESPENLAUB,  Wyandotte  county:  I  know  that  the  grapes  growing  on 
the  southeast  slope  are  the  grapes  for  money. 

W.  G.  GANG,  Missouri:  There  is  much  dissatisfaction  with  the  Worden.  I 
know  of  a  good  many  Wordens  being  plowed  up  within  the  last  few  years.  It  is 
much  like  the  Delaware  and  I  think  it  is  as  good.  It  is  the  best  grape  to  raise 
except  the  Delaware. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  95 

J.  L.  WILLIAMS:  Mr.  Gano  made  an  assertion  about  tfye  Worden  which  is 
not  carried  out  in  our  part  of  the  state  around  Kansas  City  where  they  are  prop- 
erly cultivated.  I  trimmed  500  Worden  vines  last  year  and  they  had  a  good  crop 
of  grapes  on  them  this  summer,  and  there  was  never  a  finer  crop  of  grapes  raised. 

A.  CHANDLER,  Wyandotte  county:  That  shows  that  they  were  not  Wordens, 

J.  L.  WILLIAMS  :    I  am  sure  that  they  were  Wordens. 

GEORGE  HOLSINGER,  Wyandotte  county:  At  the  Chillicothe  meeting  it  was- 
asked  if  anybody  had  had  any  experience  with  the  Hicks.  I  got  up  and  said 
they  froze,  to  the  ground.  Mr.  Wallis  (the  disseminator)  came  down  to  my  home 
place  for  the  purpose  of  killing  a  man  about  my  size,  but  he  found  that  others 
had  the  same  experience. 

F.  W.  DIXON,  Jackson  county:   I  have  a  Hicks  vine.     It  did  not  kill  to  the 
ground,  but  it  was  in  a  protected  place.     It  was  planted  a  year  ago  last  spring, 
and  this  year  it  had  one  lonely  bunch  of  four  grapes.     I  would  not  like  to  say 
anything  for  or  against  it.     I  hope  it  may  bear  more  grapes  next  year. 

SECRETARY  BARNES:  Among  the  correspondents  of  this  office,  C.  C.  Cook,  of 
Bradford,  Wabaunsee  county,  wrote  me  that  in  the  spring  of  1899  he  planted  one 
McPike  grape-vine ;  that  in  the  spring  of  1900  he  trimmed  it  to  one  arm,  and 
from  it  broke  forth  fourteen  shoots,  and  on  July  28  (when  he  wrote)  it  was  carry- 
ing forty  fine  bunches  of  fruit. 

A.  CHANDLER:  Has  any  one  tried  the  dust  method  of  spraying  grapes  for 
rot,  and  what  have  the  results  been  ? 

EDWIN  TAYLOR:  Can  you  not  answer  your  own  question  ?  Do  you  know  any 
one  who  has  tried  it  ? 

A.  CHANDLER:  Not  to  any  extent.  I  would  like  to  inquire  the  chemical 
nature  of  the  mixture  of  lime  and  Paris  green  used;  whether  they  combine  or 
keep  intact  ? 

MR.  BANKS:  I  cannot  say  much  about  it  only  on  a  small  scale.  We  haye  a 
dust  pump  used  for  small  fruits.  I  cannot  say  how  it  would  work  on  a  larger 
scale.  It  can  be  turned  very  easily  and  rapidly  and  throws  fine  dust  with  great 
force ;  I  think  a  larger  one  would  work  as  well. 

EDWIN  TAYLOR  :  Did  it  do  your  fruit  any  good  ? 

MR.  BANKS:  It  kills  the  fungus.  I  do  not  know  that  it  will  kill  insects  unless 
you  use  insect-powder.  It  is  good  for  mildew. 

EDWIN  TAYLOR  :  Did  you  ever  use  a  liquid  spray  ? 

MR.  BANKS:  I  never  used  a  liquid  spray  in  the  greenhouse. 

A.  CHANDLER:  We  have  a  chemical  change  and  a  new  compound  forms  as- 
soon  as  water  is  applied ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  [dry  ]  lime  would  act  on  the  dry 
poisons  that  are  put  with  it.  Dust  is  so  much  easier  than  liquid  to  apply;  yet 
the  poison  must  be  in  solution  before  it  can  kill,  and  perhaps  the  dust  that 
lights  on  the  leaves  is  combined  with  the  dew  that  falls  during  the  night. 

CHAS.  HARRINGTON:  In  our  county~(Labette)  we  tried  the  dust  spray.  I 
think  that  the  best  sprayer  is  the  Automatic,  which  allows  you  the  free  use  of 
both  hands.  They  are  made  by  several  companies. 

MR.  CHANDLRR  :  Dust  spray  can  be  used  wherever  liquid  can.  When  the 
wind  is  right  for  liquid  spray  it  is  right  for  dust  spray.  In  this  solution  you  mix: 
your  Bordeaux  and  add  the  lime.  Prepare  the  Bordeaux  mixture  just  as  you 
would  for  liquid  spray.  Then  add  the  lime  and  use  it,  and  I  am  certain  from  what 
I  have  seen  that  you  can  use  dust  whenever  liquid  can  be  used.  I  am  anxious  to- 
know  if  it  will  be  a  success;  perhaps  it  has  not  been  sufficiently  tried. 

G.  W.  MAFFET  :  Do  you  mean  air-slaked  lime  ? 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

MR.  MARSHALL:  You  can  make  the  solution  of  copper  sulphate;  dry-slake 
jour  lime. 

EDWIN  TAYLOR:  You  must  use  more  lime  than  is  ordinarily  used  with  the 
Bordeaux  mixture. 

MR.  MARSHALL  :  You  use  about  two  pounds  of  copper  sulphate  to  a  bushel  of 
lime.  All  the  lime  is  for  is  to  carry  your  Bordeaux.  It  will  take  perhaps  a  barrel 
of  water  to  slake  a  bushel  of  lime.  I  suppose  a  gallon  of  water  would  perhaps 
take  up  two  pounds  of  sulphate  in  solution.  The  water  only  takes  up  a  small 
amount  of  lime  in  proportion  to  water  used.  I  happen  to  have  one  of  those  dust 
sprayers  that  Mr.  Chandler  is  talking  about.  I  cannot  recall  the  name  of  it. 
The  instructions  that  came  with  it  were,  to  make  a  solution  of  copper  sulphate, 
then  add  lime,  and  then  let  it  complete  the  slaking  in  the  air  if  necessary.  I 
could  not  see  how  to  keep  up  the  relative  proportions  of  sulphate  of  copper.  I 
was  not  familiar  enough  with  the  action  of  the  lime  and  copper  to  know  just 
what  proportion  it  would  take  to  destroy.  The  dust  is  death  to  you  as  well  as  to 
the  insects,  and  a  man  to  use  it  ought  to  have  neither  eyes,  nose,  or  mouth.  I 
had  some  web-worms,  and  I  thought  I  would  try  this  dust  on  them.  I  went  out 
with  this  mixture,  but,  in  order  to  throw  it  up  into  the  trees,  the  wind  will  have 
to  be  blowing  pretty  strong. 

MAJOR  HOLSINGER  :  The  inhalation  of  this  mixture  can  be  avoided  by  placing 
a  wet  sponge  over  the  nostrils.  This  prevents  the  unhealthful  part  of  it. 


PRACTICAL  METHODS  IN  GROWING  GRAPES. 

Experience  has  taught  me  that  labor  expended  in  preparation  of  the  soil  be- 
fore planting  pays  best;  therefore  I  would  grow  some  hoed  crop  upon  the  soil  be- 
fore planting  trees  or  vines,  unless  I  had  a  clover  sod  to  use  for  the  purpose, 
which  furnishes  the  best  foundation  for  plant  growth,  the  roots  of  the  plant 
loosening  and  aerating  the  soil,  and  storing  up  the  very  elements  needed. 

In  our  section  we  plant  vines  in  rows  nine  feet  apart,  and  ten  feet  apart  in  the 
row  for  free-growing  kinds,  such  as  the  Concord,  Worden,  Moore's  Early,  and 
Niagara.  Varieties  like  the  Delaware  and  Green  Mountain  can  be  planted  eight 
by  eight.  Care  should  be  taken  to  secure  vigorous,  well-grown  vines,  preferably 
two  years  old,  clean  and  free  from  mildew  or  fungus.  Mark  the  ground  ten  feet 
apart  the  opposite  way  from  what  you  want  the  rows  to  run,  then  with  a  two- 
horse  plow  mark  the  rows  for  planting  nine  feet  apart,  going  twice  in  a  row  and 
plowing  as  deep  as  you  can  ( presuming  that  the  land  has  been  deeply  and  thor- 
oughly plowed  previously),  so  that  in  setting  the  vine  it  can  have  some  loose  soil 
under  it;  and  I  want  to  set  the  vine  at  least  six  inches  deep,  so  that  the  after- 
cultivation  will  not  disturb  the  roots,  and  a  dirt  mulch  of  three  or  four  inches  can 
be  kept  over  the  roots  to  conserve  the  moisture. 

Before  planting  the  vine  trim  off  all  superfluous  wood,  and  leave  only  three  or 
four  buds  to  grow.  As  some  hoed  crop  is  supposed  to  be  raised  the  first  year 
(but  never  a  sowed  crop),  it  is  well  to  stake  the  vines,  to  prevent  injury,  and  if 
vigorous  growth  is  made  it  can  be  tied  to  the  stake.  The  vine  is  now  left  until 
winter,  usually  February,  when  the  strongest  cane  is  tied  to  the  stake,  all  side 
shoots  cut  off,  and  top  shortened  to  five  and  a  half  or  six  feet.  All  other  canes  are 
cut  close  to  the  vines,  and  all  shoots  that  start  from  them  broken  off.  If  any 
fruit  should  set  the  second  year  it  is  best  to  remove  it,  and  let  the  strength  of  the 
vine  go  to  production  of  wood.  In  the  fall  of  the  second  season,  or  the  spring  of 
the  third  season,  we  set  the  posts  in  the  rows,  leaving  two  vines  between  posts. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  97 

Brace  the  end  posts,  and  put  two  wires  on  them  ;  one  three  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  the  other  five  and  a  half  or  six  feet.  We  use  No.  11  wire. 

Third  year :  Now  trim  your  vine,  if  it  has  grown  enough  so  that  you  can  do 
it,  leaving  one  arm  on  each  side  of  the  head  of  the  vine.  Cut  these  arms  back 
six  buds  to  each  and  tie  to  the  wires.  Train  the  shoots  along  the  wires,  and  tie. 
Let  but  few  —  not  over  ten  —  clusters  of  fruit  remain  on  the  vine. 

Fourth  year  :  Select  the  best  cane  nearest  the  head  of  the  vine  for  your  bear, 
ing  cane.  Cut  off  all  wood  beyond  it.  Trim  these  bearing  canes  and  cut  off  the 
ends,  leaving  ten  buds. 

Fifth  year :  Select  the  best  cane  near  the  head  of  the  vine  for  your  bearing 
cane  the  coming  season,  and  leave  twelve  buds  on  each  bearing  cane.  Cut  off 
all  wood  beyond  these  bearing  canes.  Tie  these  long,  bearing  canes  to  the  upper 
wire.  If  there  is  not  sufficient  room  for  future  growth,  carry  alternate  canes 
down  to  the  lower  wires  and  tie  in  umbrella  form. 

After  the  fruit  is  set  these  vines  should  receive  their  summer  pruning,  which 
consists  of  removing  the  tendrils  or  clingers,  and  cutting  off  the  -ends  of  the 
bearing  canes  at  third  or  fourth  leaf  beyond  the  fruit,  excepting  only  the  cane 
nearest  the  head  of  the  vine,  which  is  not  shortened,  but  left  to  grow  for  the 
bearing  cane  for  the  following  year. — Strawberry  Culturist. 


CARE  OF  GRAPE-VINES. 

The  grape-vine  should  not  be  planted  more  than  six  or  eight  inches  deep,  as 
the  feeding  roots  are  found  very  near  the  surface.  If  the  vine  is  long,  plant  in  a 
slanting  position.  When  the  vine  is  first  set,  cut  back  to  three  buds.  The  ob- 
ject of  leaving  three  buds  is  to  be  sure  of  one  to  grow ;  if  they  all  start,  rub  off 
all  but  one,  and,  as  that  grows  during  the  summer,  tie  to  a  small  stake.  By  giv- 
ing the  one  shoot  the  whole  growth  that  the  three  would  make,  at  the  end  of  the 
season  a  nice  cane  will  be  produced,  and  the  process  is  as  simple  as  growing  a 
hill  of  corn ;  cut  this  cane  back  to  three  or  four  buds.  The  following  season  train 
up  two  shoots  in  the  same  manner.  Subsequent  pruning  will  depend  on  how  the 
vine  is  to  be  trained ;  also  on  its  habits  of  growth.  But  avoid  allowing  too  much 
wood  to  grow;  this  is  always  at  the  expense  of  fruit,  whether  of  tree  or  vine. 
Don't  bury  them  alive  —  they  can't  grow  out  and  will  surely  die.  Pick  up  those 
old  bones,  boots  and  shoes — all  the  chickens  that  die — and  plant  near  the  grapes  ; 
and  the  prunings  of  the  vines  are  good.  Don't  burn  any  old  boots — they  are 
worth  fifty  cents  each  to  grape-vines. —  Oeo.  J.  Spear,  Greeley,  Colo. 


MAKING  A  VINEYARD. 

T.  V.  Munson,  the  great  authority  on  grape  culture,  of  Denison,  Tex.,  has 
written  for  the  Texas  Farm  and  Ranch  a  paper  on  "How  to  Start  a  Vine- 
yard, which  explains,  among  other  things,  Mr.  Munson's  system  of  trellising, 
which  differs  from  that  used  by  most  growers.  Mr.  Munson  claims  his  plan  is 
better  than  any  in  common  use.  His  paper  follows,  omitting  reference  to  varie- 
ties, some  of  which  recommended  do  not  grow  well  in  this  latitude. 

The  site  and  soil  have  much  to  do  with  making  a  vineyard  profitable  or  un- 
profitable ;  hence  too  great  care  cannot  be  used  in  selecting  a  location. 

The  ideal  site  has  an  eastern  or  southeastern  exposure,  with  sufficient  slope  to 
secure  surf  ace- drainage,  but  not  enough  to  wash  badly  in  the  heavy  rains. 
—7 


98  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

The  ideal  soil  is  a  reddish,  sandy  loam,  with  a  reddish  clay  subsoil,  porous 
enough  and  deep  enough  to  absorb  the  heaviest  rains  without  becoming  boggy  or 
seepy.  Such  soils  and  locations  are  less  invaded  by  the  mildews  and  rots  so  dis- 
astrous to  vineyards  in  low,  damp,  heavy  lands,  and  are  far  less  subject  to  killing 
by  late  frosts. 

But  no  one  need  be  without  good  table  and  market  grapes,  even  if  his  soil  is 
heavy  and  damp ;  for  a  little  drainage,  subsoiling  and  fertilizing  will  largely  cor- 
rect what  nature  has  failed  to  do. 

Next  to  the  red  and  chocolate  sandy  soils  come  the  black,  sandy  soils  on  red 
or  yellow  clay.  The  poorest  are  the  low,  blue,  livery  soils,  that  are  seepy  in  wet 
and  hard  as  a  bone  in  dry  weather.  But  the  black,  waxy  and  adobe  soils,  in 
good  sites,  planted  to  some  varieties,  give  good  results. 

Having  chosen  the  site,  the  soil  should  be  thoroughly  prepared.  Failure  to 
do  this  will  cause  many  sad  crops  of  disappointment  to  be  gathered. 

The  land,  if  beset  with  stumps  and  rocks,  should  have  them  all  dug  out  to  a 
depth  below  where  the  plow  will  reach.  When  the  land  is  free  to  be  worked  at 
your  will  by  the  plow  in  all  its  parts  to  at  least  two  feet  in  depth,  lay  off  the 
rows — preferably  running  from  northeast  to  southwest,  if  the  land  will  permit; 
then  plow  in  narrow  lands  the  width  that  the  rows  are  to  be  apart.  I  have 
found  nine  feet  from  row  to  row  the  most  desirable  width,  so  a  wagon  can  be 
driven  between.  Begin  plowing  each  land  midway  between  where  the  rows  are 
to  stand,  and  backfurrow  to  this  center,,  following  the  first  plow  with  an- 
other, preferably  a  subsoil  plow,  as  deeply  as  a  heavy  team  can  draw  it,  remem- 
bering that  never,  after  the  vines  have  once  filled  the  soil  with  their  roots,  can 
deep  plowing  be  done  in  the  vineyard  during  its  life  without  great  damage.  In 
finishing  each  land,  go  an  extra  round  or  two  in  the  dead  furrow,  throwing 
out  as  deeply  as  possible,  not  less  than  two  feet  —  three  will  be  better.  Then  let 
the  land  lie  awhile  to  receive  ameliorating  influences  of  weather. 

If  the  land  is  at  all  heavy  or  seepy  or  poor,  the  dead  furrow  should  have 
placed  along  its  bottom,  three  or  four  inches  in  depth,  poles  and  brush,  lying 
close  down  lengthwise,  with  crushed  bones  and  leaf-mold  from  the  woods  inter- 
mingled. When  ready  to  plant,  begin  at  the  dead  furrow  with  a  broad,  heavy 
turning-plow,  and  turn  the  land  back  over  the  poles,  bones,  etc.,  until  the  soil  is 
two  feet  deep  over  the  poles,  and  the  final  dead  furrow,  which  need  not  be  opened 
very  deep,  is  midway  between  where  the  rows  are  to  be  set.  A  cross-section  of 
the  lands  thus  prepared  would  present  somethiag  of  the  appearance  of  the  illus- 
tration shown  herewith. 


a,  a,  Brush,  bones,  leaf-mold,  etc. 

A  vineyard  planted  on  land  thus  prepared,  and  of  varieties  adapted  to  the 
climate,  should,  with  proper  care,  live  50  to  100  years  under  profitable  bearing. 

SETTING    THE    VINES. 

Strong,  healthy  one-  or  two-year-old  plants — never  older,  unless  to  save  rare 
varieties — should  be  used. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  99 

Cut  the  roots  back  to  six  or  eight  inches  with  sharp  knrfe  or  shears,  and  tops 
to  three  buds.  Have  all  the  plants  thus  prepared,  and  tied  in  bundles  of  as  many 
as  there  will  be  vines  in  a  row,  if  the  vineyard  is  to  be  of  considerable  size;  each 
variety  correctly  labeled  and  separate.  Have  the  vines  thus  prepared  heeled  in 
moist  soil  where  they  are  to  be  planted,  and  arranged  in  order  in  which  they  are 
to  be  set. 

With  a  turning-plow,  let  a  careful  man,  going  by  stakes  set  in  straight  lines  at 
right  angles  across  the  rows  as  already  prepared,  lay  off  straight  furrows  four 
feet  apart. 

After  the  vineyard  ground  is  thus  "laid  off"  one  way,  set  the  stakes  in  a 
straight  row,  directly  over  the  line  of  buried  poles,  or  the  deep  dead  furrow  first 
made,  which  is  now  under  where  each  row  is  to  stand,  and  lay  off  the  furrow 
well  and  deep.  If  all  has  been  properly  done,  these  furrows  will  be  nine  feet 
apart. 

Let  one  person  take  the  vines  of  the  first  variety,  and  if  such  be  Delaware, 
Moore's  Early,  Ives,  Concord,  or  other  varieties  of  moderate  growth,  place  a  vine 
properly  in  every  other  cross-furrow,  thus  putting  them  eight  feet  apart  along 
the  row,  while  another  person  attends  him  with  a  spade  and  covers  the  roots 
carefully  with  mellow,  fine  soil,  finally  pressing  it  down  firmly  with  the  foot  all 
around,  leaving  the  two  buds  just  above  the  surface  of  the  soil.  If  the  variety 
is  Herbemont  Le  Noir,  or  hybrids  of  these,  or  post  oak  grape  hybrids,  set  a  vine 
in  every  third  cross-furrow,  thus  giving  each  twelve  feet  distance  to  other  vines 
in  the  row.  If  the  land  is  very  strong,  these  varieties  will  do  better  sixteen  feet 
apart  —  one  in  every  fourth  cross-furrow — and  will  fill  the  entire  space  of  trellis 
well  with  fruit,  and  fare  much  better  than  if  set  closer  and  pruned  shorter. 

Scuppernong,  Thomas  and  others  of  the  Muscadine  varieties  should  never 
have  less  than  sixteen  feet  of  space. 

If  any  varieties  have  imperfect  flowers,  such  as  Brighton  and  some  others, 
plant  next  row  to  them  in  kinds  with  perfect  flowers  that  bloom  at  the  same  time. 

After  the  vines  are  all  thus  carefully  set,  make  a  record  of  the  plantation  in  a 
book  for  the  purpose  and  preserve  for  future  reference.  It  will  save  much  con- 
fusion and  be  a  great  satisfaction  in  comparing  varieties. 

Varieties  of  grapes  are  less  known  and  understood  generally  among  nursery- 
men than  are  varieties  of  almost  any  other  class  of  fruits;  hence  you  should  be 
especially  careful  to  secure  vines  from  thoroughly  posted  and  reliable  growers. 

TRELLISING,    PRUNING   AND   TRAINING  THE   VINE. 

After  trying  for  years  the  various  forms  of  grape  trellises  in  common  use,  and 
studying  the  natural  demands  of  the  vine,  and  its  behavior  on  the  various  trel- 
lises under  different  methods  of  pruning  and  training,  I  became  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  none  of  the  trellises  recommended  in  works  on  culture  of  the  grape 
were  fully  adapted  to  best  training  of  the  vine,  as  it  grows  in  all  regions  where 
irrigation  is  not  in  use,  the  air  moist,  growth  of  vine  great,  and  some  form  of 
trellis  support  absolutely  necessary  to  enable  the  vine  to  bear  marketable  crops. 
The  Kniffin  system  of  training  had  most  merit,  but  was  imperfect,  especially  for 
a  windy  country. 

The  vine  in  nature  invariably  tries  to  make  a  canopy  of  its  foliage  over  its 
fruit,  body,  and  root,  and  yet  above  ground  sufficiently  to  allow  ventilation  and 
diffused  light  enough  to  favor  the  proper  development  and  ripening  of  the  fruit. 
This  was  the  key  to  my  invention. 

With  the  single  post,  the  winds  thrashed  and  twisted  the  vines  about  until 
the  ties  were  worn  off,  and  down  they  came,  full  of  fruit,  to  the  ground,  the  crop 
greatly  damaged,  and  requiring  immediate  attention  in  tying  up  again  in  the 


100  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

very  busiest  season.  Besides,  there  was  never  room  for  the  vine  to  properly  ex- 
pand itself.  The  lower  part  of  the  body  was  exposed  to  the  baking  sun,  and  in 
a  few  years  killed  along  its  southwest  side.  The  foliage  either  matted  up  in  a 
bundle,  choking  the  fruit,  or  had  to  be  kept  cut  back  too  closely  for  the  health 
of  the  vine.  The  crops  were  small  and  uneven  in  quality,  and  the  vine  short- 
lived. Besides,  the  post  in  the  center  was  a  perpetual  harbor  for  insects  and 
fungi,  ready  to  prey  on  the  vine  and  fruit. 

In  the  vertical  three-  or  two-wire  trellis  was  found  a  large  improvement,  es- 
pecially with  the  Kniffin  method  of  long-arm  pruning  and  drooping  training.  The 
fan  training  on  such  trellises  was  next  best,  and  the  Fuller  system  poorest,  be- 
cause so  tedious  in  detail  and  the  incessant  pinching  necessary  to  maintain  the 
balance  of  the  vine.  All,  however,  lacked  the  proper  canopy  of  shade,  permitted 
uneven  exposure  of  foliage  and  fruit  to  wind  and  light,  presented  a  broad  surface 
of  resistance  to  storms,  and  when  the  ground  became  saturated  and  soft,  or  the 
trellis  a  little  old,  whole  rows  would  go  down  with  a  crush  of  fruit  in  a  heavy 
blow. 

Besides,  the  vertical  wire  trellises  in  a  vineyard  allow  no  free  ventilation  when 
full  of  foliage  and  fruit,  and  are  the  same  as  so  many  fences  to  oppose  one's  pass- 
ing from  row  to  row  at  any  point  in  the  vineyard. 

So  I  might  show  the  defects  of  all  the  other  trellises  commonly  used. 

At  first  I  tried  a  two- wire  canopy  trellis,  and  have  used  it  extensively  for  thir- 
teen years,  with  much  satisfaction.  It  has  two  parallel  wires  at  the  same  height 
— five  feet  from  the  ground — and  two  feet  apart,  resting  on  the  ends  of  arms 
bolted  to  posts,  or  on  the  ends  of  small  posts  set  flaringly  in  the  same  hole  in 
in  pairs,  thus : 


The  Munson  two-wire  canopy  trellis. 

The  defects  of  this  are  that  the  bearing  arms,  being  tied  along  the  wire,  with 
no  support  above  for  the  bearing  shoots  to  cling  to  or  recline  on,  are  very  easily 
blown  off  by  gusty  winds  when  tender,  before  the  wood  becomes  hard  and  tough  ; 
the  plow  animal  passing  along  in  cultivating  rubs  off  some  shoots  with  the 
hames,  and  sometimes,  when  the  fruit  gets  heavy,  it  carries  the  shoots  down,  re- 
versing the  foliage  and  fruit,  when,  if  the  sun  is  very  hot,  some  fruit  will  scorch 
before  the  leaves  erect  themselves  over  it. 

To  overcome  these  defects,  a  third  wire  is  run  midway  between  the  other  two, 
and  about  six  inches  lower,  making  a  broad  V-shaped  trough  of  the  three  wires. 
The  bearing  arms,  after  pruning,  are  tied  solely  to  the  middle,  lower  wire,  as 
shown  in  the  drawing  of  the  three-wire  trellis  accompanying  this  article.  This 
form  of  trellis  I  am  also  using,  and  find  it  as  near  perfection  as  I  ever  expect  to 
get. 

The  posts  and  cross-bars,  of  course,  should  be  of  most  durable  wood.  By 
having  sawn  posts  of  cypress,  or  bois-d'arc,  or  cedar,  or  black  locust,  or  mes- 
quite,  or  white  post-oak,  or  burr-oak,  and  keeping  them  painted,  they  will  be 
very  durable,  and  give  a  tidy,  thrifty  appearance  to  the  vineyard.  The  drawing 
shows  the  end  post  set  deeper  than  intervening  posts,  and  well  anchored  by 
buried  rocks,  or  low  posts  may  be  used  in  place  of  the  rocks. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


101 


On  the  canopy  trellis,  all  the  summer  pruning  required  is  to  go  through  the 
vineyard  at  or  a  few  days  before  blooming  time,  and  with  a  light,  sharp  butcher- 
knife  clip  off  the  tips  of  all  advanced  shoots  to  be  left  for  bearing,  leaving  two 
or  three  leaves  beyond  the  outer  flower  cluster.  From  the  shoots  near  the  crotch, 
selected  for  bearing  arms  the  next  year,  pick  the  flower  clusters,  and  strip  off  or 
rub  off  all  shoots  and  buds  that  start  on  trunk  of  vine  below  crotch.  This  latter 
is  very  important,  as  such  shoots,  if  left,  eat  up  the  nourishment  of  the  land, 
with  no  return  but  added  work  at  pruning  time. 

It  will  be  found  that  the  shoots  at  the  ends  of  the  arms  usually  start  first  and 
strongest,  and  if  not  clipped  back,  will  not  allow  the  buds  back  toward  the  crotch 
to  start  well ;  but  if  clipped,  all  other  desirable  buds  then  push. 

In  about  six  to  ten  days  after  first  clipping,  a  second  one  is  usually  neces- 
sary, especially  if  the  weather  is  moist  and  warm  and  the  land  rich.  The  first 
clipped  shoots,  as  well  as  the  new  ones,  will  need  clipping  back  this  time,  the 
end  buds  on  the  first  clipped  having  pushed  vigorously. 

SOME   ADVANTAGES   OF   THE   MUNSON   TRELLIS. 

See  illustration  on  page  102. 

1.  It  accommodates  the  nature  of  the  vine,   by  furnishing  a   leafy,  well- 
ventilated  canopy  over  fruit,  vine,  and  root,  and  allows  the  fruit  to  hang  in  free 
air,  so  no  chafing  occurs  against  wires,  or  post,  or  vine. 

2.  It  puts  the  work  of  pruning,  tying,  spraying  and  harvesting  in  the  most 
convenient  position  possible  to  save  backache  and  do  the  work  most  expedi- 
tiously,  with  the  least  inconvenience,  and   permits  passing  from  row  to  row 
through  the  vineyard,  at  any  point,  by  slightly  stooping. 

3.  It  allows  more  readily  of  cultivation  than  any  other  continuous  trellis. 

4.  It  permits  free  circulation  of  air  and  wind-storms,  thus  keeping  the  ground 
better  aerated  in  wet  weather,  helping  to  restrain  diseases,  and  avoiding  blow- 
ing down  of  trellis ;  hence  enabling  it  to  last  longer.     The  sheet  of  leafy  vine, 
being  held  horizontally  and  edgewise  to  the  winds,  gives  little  resistance,  and 
furnishes  even  exposure  of  the  fruit  to  light,  heat,  and  air;  hence  secures  even 
ripening. 

5.  In  cold  climates,  where  vines  have  to  be  covered  in  winter,  it  permits  the 
vine,  as  soon  as  pruned,  to  be  readily  laid  down  to  be  covered,  and  easily  raised 
to  be  tied  up  in  spring. 


AGRICULTURAL 
LIBRARY, 

UNIVERSITY 


CALIFORNIA. 


102 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  103 


THE  VINEYARD  — FROM  THE  PLANTING  TO  THE  TRELLIS. 

In  planting  grape-vines,  the  variety  governs  the  distance  apart.  I  will  speak 
of  the  Worden  and  Concord,  two  of  the  best  well-known  black  grapes.  I  plant 
them  in  rows  eight  feet  apart,  and  twelve  feet  apart  in  the  rows. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  should  be  deep  and  thorough.  Set  the  rooted 
vines  down  to  the  last  bud.  Prune  them  back  to  about  four  buds  on  the  canes 
made  while  they  were  being  rooted.  If  the  soil  is  rich,  and  a  rank  growth  of 
vine  is  expected  the  first  year,  let  only  two  canes  grow ;  if  soil  is  poor  and  a 
feeble  growth  is  expected,  let  only  one  cane  grow. 

Supply  each  vine  with  a  stake  seven  feet  tall.  As  soon  as  the  vine  starts 
climbing  tie  it  to  the  stake,  rubbing  off  all  side  shoots  or  laterals;  tie  up  and 
prune  after.  Keep  the  vine  climbing  straight  up  the  pole  and  allow  no  growth 
wasted  in  surplus  laterals. 

Cultivation  should  commence  early  and  be  thorough.  A  single  section  of  a 
fifty-tooth,  steel-frame  harrow,  using  one  horse,  is  a  very  convenient  and  suitable 
outfit  with  which  to  keep  the  surface  in  good  condition  and  surplus  vegetation 
in  check.  Some  hoeing  may  have  to  be  done  to  destroy  such  strong-rooted  weeds 
as  the  harrow  will  not  tear  up.  Some  weeding  in  the  hill  also  will  be  neces- 
sary. About  the  middle  of  June,  if  you  like,  plant  the  ground  to  cow-peas,  the 
Whippoorwill  being  my  favorite,  on  account  of  its  bunchy  habit  of  growth.  Keep 
the  harrow  going  just  the  same,  at  least  once  a  week  through  the  rows  both  ways. 
There  is  a  short  period  of  time,  all  pea  growers  know,  that  it  will  not  do  to  har- 
row them,  and  this  is  from  the  time  they  first  come  up  until  the  third  leaf  ap- 
pears. When  the  vines  get  too  rank  for  the  harrow  it  is  time  to  stop  cultivation. 
When  the  peas  ripen  they  can  be  hand-picked  and  saved  for  seed.  The  vines  can 
be  left  on  the  ground  and  serve  a  splendid  purpose  as  mulch  to  prevent  the  win- 
ter rains  from  robbing  the  surface  soil  of  the  fertility  brought  there  by  the  peas 
and  the  thorough  cultivation.  The  grape-vines  can  go  into  winter  just  as  they 
are.  I  had  rather  prune  as  eoon  in  the  early  part  of  winter  as  practicable;  say 
as  soon  as  the  wood  is  fully  ripe.  This  pruning  is  simply  cutting  the  canes  back 
to  within  two  feet  of  the  ground. 

The  Second  Season. — Whether  a  trellis  should  be  put  up  now  or  let  the  vines 
run  on  the  stakes,  depends  on  the  richness  of  the  soil  and  the  growth  the 
vines  are  likely  to  make.  Be  that  as  it  may,  they  will  only  yield  about  ten  to 
thirty  bunches  of  grapes  near  the  ground.  If  left  on  the  stakes,  cultivation  can 
be  more  thorough,  as  we  can  go  both  ways  again.  I  favor  the  stake  plan  for 
this  year,  letting  from  four  to  six  canes  grow,  pruning  and  tying  up  as  before. 
Rag  strings  will  serve  for  tying ;  they  are  soft  and  do  not  cut  the  canes.  The 
curl  of  the  vines  will  soon  catch  and  help  support  them.  I  have  Concord  vines 
now  at  this  stage,  the  year's  growth  measuring  twenty  feet.  Think  of  what  a 
wire  trellis  they  will  cover ;  twelve  feet  apart  is  none  too  far.  I  will  use  three 
No.  11  smooth  wires,  the  top  one  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  the  bottom  one  two 
feet.  This  leaves  me  seventy-two  square  feet  of  trellis  for  each  vine,  besides  the 
twenty-four  inches  below  the  first  wire,  which  is  often  used  by  the  vines  that 
yield  grapes.  A  vine  like  this  will  produce  the  third  year  from  twenty-five  to 
fifty  pounds  of  grapes,  at  five  cents  per  pound.  In  the  former  estimate  my  300 
vines  would  yield  me  $375,  and  in  the  latter  $750.  The  land  they  occupy  is  much 
less  than  an  acre. — E.  W.  Geer,  Farming  ton,  Mo. 


104  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


THE  GRAPE. 

A  paper  read  by  SAMTJEL  MILLER  before  the  Missouri  State  Horticultural  Society. 

The  grape  was  grown  before  the  deluge.  Whether  Noah  took  rooted  vines  or 
cuttings  with  him  when  he  entered  the  ark  does  not  matter;  but  the  first  thing 
he  planted  when  he  came  out  of  it  was  a  vineyard.  This  certainly  gives  the 
grape  a  prominent  character  among  the  productions  of  the  earth.  That  it  is  one 
of  the  best  and  most  wholesome  fruits  is  also  admitted.  When  Noah's  vines  bore 
fruit,  he  made  wine  and  got  drunk;  this  is  only  what  countless  thousands  have 
done  since  then  and  will  most  likely  continue  to  do  to  the  end  of  time. 

From  that  vineyard  of  sacred  history  to  the  present  time  the  grape  has  held  a 
prominent  place  among  the  best  fruits  of  the  world.  Its  range  of  latitude  is 
almost  as  great  as  that  of  any  other  fruit  except  the  strawberry.  It  grows  in 
swamps  and  on  high  mountains,  in  a  great  variety  of  soils ;  yielding  many  varie- 
ties, from  the  little,  insignificant  summer  grapes  of  our  Missouri  islands  and  bot- 
toms to  the  magnificent  Muscats,  Hamburgs,  Moroccos,  and  Syrians.  The  latter 
has  grown  bunches  that  weighed  twenty-eight  pounds.  A  traveler  once  stated 
that  he  came  across  grapes  in  Afghanistan  with  bunches  half  a  yard  in  length, 
and  with  berries  as  large  as  small  walnuts. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  century  the  grape  received,  in  this  country,  but  little 
attention,  and  the  attempts  to  grow  the  viniferas  were  failures.  The  fox  grape 
(labrusca),  in  the  East,  and  the  chicken  or  fort  grape  were  about  the  only  ones 
that  survived,  and  even  these,  to  my  personal  knowledge,  failed  some  years  from 
rot  and  mildew.  Some  years  the  first  named  all  rotted,  and  the  latter  I  have 
seen  when  the  bunches  looked  as  if  they  had  been  made  wet  and  then  rolled  in 
flour,  they  were  so  white  with  mildew. 

Now  where  are  we  ?  Here  in  the  West  we  can  grow  good  grapes,  and  we  have 
boasted  about  it  in  times  past,  notwithstanding  there  are  car-loads  imported  into 
our  state  yearly  from  Ohio  and  New  York.  This  should  not  be  so,  as  we  can  grow 
our  own  grapes.  Of  course  the  early  ones  are  soon  gone;  but  we  have  late  ones, 
such  as  Goethe,  Woodruff  Red,  Norton,  Cynthiana,  Kentucky,  Ozark,  and  Her- 
mann, that  can  be  kept  late  if  properly  cared  for. 

There  is  no  occasion  for  me  to  dwell  on  the  subject  of  cultivation  in  this  paper, 
for  every  journal  gives  instructions  in  this  line ;  or  on  propagation  of  vines,  as  this 
topic  is  also  freely  discussed.  That  some  varieties  grow  readily  from  cuttings, 
while  others  cannot  be  grown  successfully  in  that  way,  each  one  will  learn  by  ex- 
perience. Varieties  differ  in  their  habits  and  no  definite  rule  can  be  laid  down 
for  all  varieties. 

Of  the  newer  varieties  introduced  within  the  last  few  years,  I  will  mention 
Campbell's  Early,  of  Concord  parentage;  bunch  and  berry  large,  black;  quality 
superior  to  Concord  and  ten  days  earlier.  This  should  be  in  every  collection  and 
can  now  be  bought  for  fifty  cents  a  strong  vine.  I  paid  $2.50  when  getting  my 
first  vine.  Then  we  have  the  McPike,  a  most  noble  grape,  a  seedling  of  the  Wor- 
den ;  just  like  it,  but  much  more  so  —  larger  and  better.  Hicks,  a  grape  brought 
out  by  Henry  Wallis,  of  western  St.  Louis  county,  Missouri.  This  grape  is  des- 
tined to  make  its  mark.  The  bunch  and  berry  are  above  the  medium,  black; 
quality  as  a  table  grape  the  best.  .  .  .  The  Kentucky  is  another  of  recent  in- 
troduction, of  the  Norton  type,  but  larger  in  bunch  and  berry;  a  pleasant  table 
grape.  .  .  .  Just  here  let  me  say  that  the  Norton  and  Cynthiana  are  consid- 
ered by  most  folks  as  only  wine  grapes,  but  I  deem  them  excellent  for  eating,  and 
prefer  the  latter,  when  it  is  ripe,  to  the  Concord. 

Among  the  older  varieties,  I  would  name  the  following  for  a  small  collection 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  105 

for  the  amateur:  For  white — Green  Mountain,  Moore's  Diamond,  and  Pockling- 
ton;  red — Brighton,  Catawba,  Woodruff  Red,  Goethe;  black — Early  Victor, 
Worden,  Defiance,  and  Norton. 

If  people  only  knew  it,  and  would  carry  out  their  knowledge  in  a  practical 
way,  every  man  owning  a  house  could  have  grapes  enough  to  eat  and  not  occupy 
land  availiable  for  ordinary  plants.  Plant  against  the  walls  of  the  house  and 
train  up  under  the  eaves,  and  there  will  be  neither  rot  nor  mildew  to  injure  them. 

The  danger  from  swallowing  grape  seed  is  greatly  exaggerated,  in  my  opinion; 
but  at  the  same  time  a  grape  fit  to  eat  should  have  the  seeds  rejected.  It  is  true 
that  some  varieties  are  sweet  between  the  skin  and  pulp;  the  latter  is  often 
swallowed  whole,  for  if  bursted  it  will  be  somewhat  acid  inside ;  but  that  is  not 
my  way  of  eating  grapes. 

I  pity  the  man  who  has  the  land  and  no  grapes ;  yet  at  the  same  time  I  will 
say  that  he  is  neglecting  a  duty  that  he  owes  to  himself,  his  family,  and  the  pub- 
lic in  general. 

In  concluding  this  paper,  I  must  not  forget  to  give  an  account  of  the  latest 
great  acquisition.  It  is  an  ever-bearing  grape ;  one  that  has  on  the  vine,  at  the 
same  time,  ripe  fruit,  green  fruit,  grapes  no  larger  than  bird-shot,  and  blossoms. 
There  is  ripe  fruit  from  July  until  frost,  which  they  did  not  get  at  Belton,  Tex., 
this  season  until  November.  The  bunches  are  large,  sometimes  weighing  three 
pounds;  berry  large  and  the  quality  No.  1.  I  have  had  two  opportunities  to  taste 
this  grape  and  see  it  in  the  different  stages  of  development ;  therefore  write  from 
experience,  l^have  a  vine  of  it  that  has  made  twenty  feet  of  wood  this  season. 
This  may  indicate  what  this  vine  will  do  here  next  season.  It  is  of  the  vinifera 
class,  and  will  have  to  be  protected  in  winter.  J.  R.  Allen,  of  Texas,  is  the 
originator  of  this  new  grape.  To  save  trouble,  I  will  state  that  I  have  no  vines 
or  wood  of  it  for  sale. 


GRAPE   CULTURE. 

Mr.  W.  Mead,  of  western  Virginia,  is  a  practical,  all-round  fruit-grower,  and 
has  the  following  advice  to  give  in  regard  to  grape  culture  for  Green's  Fruit 
Grower  : 

I  apply  manure  to  the  soil  for  three  years  after  planting,  and  yet  on  some 
soils  this  might  not  be  necessary.  My  object  is  to  give  health  and  vigorous 
growth  to  the  vines  and  to  get  the  trellis  covered  as  soon  as  possible.  After  this 
my  attention  is  given  to  the  canes  and  body  of  the  vine.  In  future  years,  after 
the  vineyard  has  borne  several  crops,  I  manure  it  every  other  year.  After  three 
years'  growth  I  prune  back  to  two  buds.  When  the  vine  is  seven  or  eight  years 
old  I  cut  back  to  one  bud.  My  practice  is  to  have  as  little  of  the  old  bark  left 
on  the  main  cane  as  possible,  as  it  makes  a  place  for  insects  to  hide.  If  you 
want  fine,  large  clusters,  prune  your  vines  back  closely  and  do  not  let  the  canes 
run  over  seven  or  eight  feet.  Thin  out  the  arms  during  the  summer.  Do  not 
allow  the  clusters  to  form  too  thickly.  Clip  out  where  the  clusters  are  too  close, 
when  the  grapes  are  about  the  size  of  shot.  Do  not  remove  the  leaves  from  the 
vine,  as  some  people  recommend. 

Grape-vines  are  desirable  and  attractive  for  covering  sides  of  buildings,  barns, 
or  walls,  and  you  need  not  be  afraid  that  the  vines  will  do  the  building  or  walls 
any  harm.  They  will  protect  them.  Plant  grape-vines  for  the  health  of  your 
family,  and  for  their  enjoyment. 

The  longer  you  permit  your  canes  of  the  grape-vine  to  run  the  smaller  the 
fruit  will  grow. 

The  greatest  percentage  of  sugar  is  formed  closer  to  the  roots  of  the  grapes, 
and  not  at  the  extremities. 


K)6  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


TENDING  TO  GRAPE-VINES. 

Very  few  vines  give  better  satisfaction  than  the  grapes,  says  S.  W.  Chambers, 
in  the  American  Cultivator.  Cultivating  them  on  a  large  commercial  scale  has 
been  reduced  to  a  science  that  takes  away  a  good  deal  of  the  sentiment  which 
attached  to  the  old  family  grape.  Grapes  are  so  cheap  now  that  many  farmers 
are  giving  up  growing  them  for  home  use,  depending  upon  the  markets  for  all 
their  families  consume.  For  a  fruit  that  is  so  easily  raised  this  is  a  mistake. 
Enough  grapes  should  be  raised  on  trellises  or  arbors  to  provide  eating  for  the 
whole  family  from  early  fall  to  the  middle  of  winter.  There  should  be  an  abun- 
dance on  the  table  all  the  time,  for  there  is  no  healthier  fruit  raised,  and  plenty 
should  be  left  over  for  canning. 

The  mistake  is  often  made  on  farms  to  let  old  out-of-date  vines  clamber  over 
the  arbor.  These  should  be  torn  down  and  some  of  the  best  varieties  planted. 
Select  one  variety  each  of  the  early,  medium  and  late  grapes.  Then  let  them 
grow  in  a  thrifty  condition,  stirring  and  enriching  the  soil  and  about  their  roots 
when  they  need  it,  and  pruning  them  back  every  fall.  About  all  the  care  grapes 
raised  for  home  consumption  need  in  this  way  is  to  loosen  the  soil  occasionally 
^and  prune  them  back.  More  depends  upon  the  pruning  than  most  growers 
imagine.  This  has  more  to  do  with  the  bearing  of  the  vine  than  anything  else. 
Very  often  it  is  better  to  prune  them  back  to  the  main  stem,  leaving  only  one 
joint  on  each  branch.  Then  let  this  joint  produce  one  branch  thai  can  be  trained 
to  the  trees.  By  repeating  this  operation  the  arbor  can  be  covered  with  branches 
and  stems  that  have  been  carefully  selected  with  a  view  to  their  special  fitness. 
There  will  be  no  abundant  vine  growth  then,  and  every  branch  will  produce  its 
•quota  of  grapes. 

Grapes  to  ripen  well  must  have  air.  In  the  first  place  the  arbor  should  be  so 
located  that  the  air  can  circulate  evenly  through  it.  If  put  away  in  some  corner 
-where  no  wind  can  blow  through  the  vines,  the  fruit  will  not  ripen  well  and  molds 
and  fungi  will  be  more  apt  to  attack  them. 


ALL  ABOUT  GRAPES. 

The  following  papers  were  read  and  discussed  at  the  twenty-eighth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society : 

WILLIAM  CUTTER,  Junction  City,  Geary  county:  Grapes  wintered  well,  in 
-spite  of  a  few  days  of  twenty  degrees  below  zero.  Spring  opened  early  and 
warm,  and  tender  varieties  had  to  be  uncovered  by  March  1.  Although  the 
.grape  is  one  of  the  earliest  fruits  to  begin  growth,  even  in  the  North,  yet  I  lay 
down  and  cover  all  my  tender  varieties.  The  dry  season  caused  small  size  and 
poor  flavor,  but  it  prevented  rot.  Of  sixty  bearing  varieties,  we  find  Concord  the 
best  in  its  season;  Telegraph,  best  early;  Worden,  best  ripening  between  them; 
Moore's  Diamond  and  Missouri  Reisling,  best  white;  Woodruff,  the  most  promis- 
ing red.  Of  promising  new  grapes,  Campbell's  Early,  Carman  (a  late  variety), 
Brilliant  and  Croton  are  entitled  to  notice.  Scientific  pruning  is  not  essential. 
There  is  an  increased  demand  for  vines,  and  before  long  every  farmer  will  have 
^m  abundance  of  grapes  for  his  home  use. 

PETER  MOYER,  Fort  Scott,  Bourbon  county :  The  land  should  be  trenched 
eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  deep.  A  good  fertilizer,  such  as  bon.es,  partly  de- 
cayed wood,  etc.,  should  be  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  trenches.  In  filling,  put  the 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  107 

poorest  subsoil  on  top,  to  prevent  surface  roots.  Select  two-year-old  plants,  and 
set  six  feet  apart,  in  rows  eight  feet  apart,  preferably  north  and  south.  Cultivate 
well ;  it  pays.  Trellises  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  have  the  foliage  cover  the 
fruit,  protecting  it  from  rain  and  summer  sun.  This  is  best  done  by  placing  the 
wires  in  a  triangular  manner.  I  prefer  trellises  of  wood  not  over  four  feet  high. 
Prune  while  the  sap  is  down.  Close  pruning  insures  better  quality ;  leave  one  to 
three  eyes  to  each  last  year's  spur.  Summer  prune  directly  after  the  bloom 
falls.  "  Tip  "  the  vine  at  the  joint  above  the  last  cluster  set.  Thin  out  the  weak 
shoots  ;  keep  well  ventilated  below.  A  pint  of  unleached  wood  ashes  at  base  of 
vine  is  the  best  stimulant  I  have  found,  and  it  also  repels  insects.  Adherence  to 
these  rules  has,  in  the  past  twelve  years,  given  me  bountiful  crops  each  year, 
with  no  mildew,  black  rot,  bird's-eye  rot,  or  any  withered  by  drought. 

E.  P.  FISHER,  Sterling,  Rice  county:    I  am  testing  sixty  varieties,  and  will 
classify  them.     In  the  first  class  I  will  place,  as  hardy,  vigorous,  and  productive, 
Worden,  Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Telegraph,  Jewel,  Champion,  Martha,  Niag- 
ara, Pocklington,  Early  Victor,  Eaton,  Etta,  Antoinette,  Isabella,  Victoria,  Jes- 
sica, Green  Mountain,  Moyer,  Ives,  and  Catawba.   Fine  table  varieties :  Diamond, 
Berckman's,  Jefferson,  Delaware,  Willis,  Oriental,  Witt,  Mills,  Empire  State,  Uls- 
ter Prolific,  Vergennes,  Duchess,  Prentiss,  Triumph,  Lindley,  Goethe,  Newton, 
and  Brighton.     I  have  the  following  new  kinds  to  fruit  next  season :   Geneva, 
Rock  wood,  Esther,  Eaton,  Ozark,  White's  Northern  Muscat,  Early  Ohio,  Car- 
man, and  Colrain.     I  have  several  seedlings  of  my  own.     I  especially  recommend 
Victoria  as  a  late  white  grape;  also  Etta  (very  late),  quality  excellent.     If  Ozark 
does  as  well  next  season  as  this,  I  shall  consider  it  a  great  acquisition.     It  is  said 
to  be  very  late,  good  size,  and  good  quality.     I  am  pleased  with  Worden;  it  is 
larger  and  better  than  Concord,  but  no  earlier  here.     Its  fault  is  poor  shipping 
quality.     Brighton  is  a  sure  and  abundant  bearer  (if  protected  in  winter),  of  fine 
quality.     The  best  keepers  and  shippers  are  Mills  (black),  Duchess  (white),  and 
Vergennes.    Red  Catawba  and  Jefferson  are  good  keepers  and  shippers.     Wor- 
den and  Berckman's  seem  deficient  in  firmness.     Telegraph  is  inclined  to  over- 
bear.    I  picked  ripe  Jewel  July  21,  and  Etta  were  not  all  ripe  when  struck  by 
frost,  October  8.     Etta  is  reliable,  good  bearer  and  the  best  late  white.     Moyer 
is  a  small,  red  grape,  of  excellent  quality,  ripening  with  Moore's  Early.     Herbert, 
Wilder  and  lona  are  fine  grapes,  and  will  succeed  here  with  a  little  winter  pro- 
tection.    The  Wilder  is  probably  the  best. 

DISCUSSION. 

PROF.  S.  C.  MASON:  Eldorado  and  Lady  are  good  varieties,  but  each  requires 
winter  protection.  I  have  not  observed  a  lack  of  pollinating  power. 

F.  HOLSINGER:   Moore's  Early,  Champion,  Concord,    Goethe    and    Worden 
are  all  the  varieties  needed.     I  see  no  use  of  a  long  list,  as  mentioned.     I  would 
plant  no  white  variety ;  they  do  not  sell  as  well  as  Concord.     For  profit,  Concord, 
Champion  and  Worden  cannot  be  surpassed. 

PROF.  S.  C.  MASON:   I  would  reluctantly  offer  Champion  to  a  visiting  friend. 

THE  PRESIDENT:  Major  Holsinger  treats  his  friends  with  such  varieties  as 
Goethe  and  Martha. 

B.  F.  SMITH  :  We  should  all  try  new  sorts  as  they  are  offered.  By  so  doing 
we  may  find  varieties  better  than  we  are  growing. 

THE  PRESIDENT  :  I  would  prefer  Rochester,  if  confined  to  one  variety  other 
than  Concord.  It  is  a  very  fine  table  sort,  handsome,  ranking  next  to  the  Dela- 
ware in  flavor.  The  vine  is  always  strong  and  vigorous  with  me.  Francis  B. 
Hays  ranks  next.  Etta  is  worthy  our  culture;  is  a  heavy  bearer  and  nice  for 
table  use. 

E.  J.  HOLM  AN  :   Ives  is  a  profitable  sort. 


108  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


MORE  ABOUT  GRAPES. 

The  following  papers  were  read  and  discussed  at  the  twenty-ninth  annual 
meeting  of  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society : 

WILLIAM  CUTTER,  Junction  City,  Geary  county:  The  grape  crop  of  1897  was 
an  abundant  one,  both  east  and  west.  The  result  has  been  extremely  low  prices. 
Growers  are  not  very  enthusiastic;  no  large  vineyards  are  being  planted.  Still, 
the  abundant  crop  has  encouraged  farmers  to  plant  more,  and  the  demand  for 
vines  is  quite  heavy.  Many  new  varieties  have  proven  comparatively  worthless.  I 
am  sorry  to  say  that  quality  has  no  chance  when  compared  with  size.  Concord 
establishes  the  price,  and  Worden,  Diamond,  Agawam,  Wilder,  Brighton  and 
others  have  to  fall  in  line.  Small  grapes,  particularly  white  ones,  bring  up  the 
rear,  at  prices  that  hardly  pay  for  picking.  I  will  not  give  a  detailed  account  of 
the  many  varieties  I  have  bearing  this  year,  but  I  will  mention  a  few  of  the  more 
worthy.  Concord  still  leads  for  market,  and  for  the  farmer  (who  usually  neg- 
lects his  vines)  there  is  no  other  variety  that  will  pay  as  well.  Still,  we  should 
not  be  satisfied  with  one  variety  only.  It  is  as  easy,  and  more  pleasant  and  profit- 
able, to  have  grapes  for  use  three  months  as  for  only  three  weeks ;  besides,  you 
ought  to  have  black,  white  and  red  varieties.  Tastes  differ,  only  the  grower  is  a 
good  judge  of  any  kind  of  fruit.  Moore's  Early  is  the  earliest  grape  worthy  of 
cultivation,  and  it  is  a  poor  bearer.  Telegraph  comes  next,  and  is  hardy  and 
productive,  a  fair  table  grape  and  a  good  shipper.  Worden  comes  before  Con- 
cord, and,  while  one  of  the  best  table  grapes,  the  skin  is  too  tender  for  market; 
it  sells  above  Concord  in  country  towns.  Woodruff,  Agawam  and  Catawba  are 
worth  all  the  rest  of  the  good  grapes.  Moore's  Diamond,  the  best  white  grape, 
is  large,  hardy,  productive,  and  of  good  quality,  but  does  not  last  long;  and,  ex- 
cepting a  few  for  home  use,  no  other  white  grape  has  any  value.  The  Empire 
State  and  Green  Mountain  are  both  good,  but  will  not  pay  for  extra  cost  of 
growing.  Never  plant  grapes  on  a  southern  slope  in  central  Kansas;  a  clay  sub- 
soil is  preferable. 

B.  F.  SMITH:    With  grapes,  we  get  the  least  money  for  the  work  done.     My 
neighbors  grow  them ;  I  do  not.     They  work,  spray,  pick,  prune,  and  furnish  the 
filled  baskets  —  all  for  ten  cents.     Is  there  any  money  in  that?     I  would  not  dis<- 
courage  grape  growing,  but  I  think  it  is  throwing  away  time  and  money. 

J.  L.  WILLIAMS:  I  was  at  the  vineyard  of  a  Jackson  county  grape  grower 
when  he  had  a  large  crop  of  grapes.  I  asked  him  what  he  would  do  with  them  ? 
He  said :  "Sit  up  nights  and  eat  them."  A  pretty  good  idea ;  for  I  think  them 
very  wholesome,  and  that  they  should  be  grown  for  home  use.  When  I  first 
raised  grapes,  I  got  twenty  cents  a  pound  for  them ;  but  now  they  sell  at  two  or 
three  cents  a  pound,  and  it  does  not  pay. 

SECRETARY  BARNES  :  Two  or  three  cents  per  pound  is  a  good  price  for  grapes; 
but  when  they  get  down  to  three-quarters  of  a  cent  they  do  not  pay.  They  do 
little  good  in  cold  storage.  We  should  raise  a  crop  that  ripens  later.  Our  grapes 
are  ripe  and  all  gone  while  the  weather  is  yet  hot.  If  we  could  grow  a  grape  to 
ripen  after  all  other  grapes  are  gone,  they  would  pay  well.  Grapes  from  New 
York,  and  other  places  sell  here  at  five  to  eight  cents  a  pound  a  few  weeks  after 
our  grapes  were  sold  for  three-quarters  of  a  cent  a  pound.  We  should  correct 
this  by  growing  a  very  late  grape. 

C.  C.  COOK  :   I  raise  Concords,  and  when  I  want  them  early  I  trim  the  foliage 
closely,  and  let  the  sun  ripen  them.     I  sometimes  keep  them  until  November. 

T.  W.  HARRISON  :   Is  it  any  more  work  to  raise  an  acre  of  grapes  than  an 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  109 

acre  of  corn  ?  It  does  not  take  any  more  muscle  or  brain»work.  You  get  $100 
an  acre  for  grapes,  and  $7  to  $8  an  acre  for  corn.  Seeing  a  Grantville  man 
selling  grapes  at  one  cent  per  pound,  I  asked  him  if  he  could  afford  it?  He 
answered,  "It 's  $100  an  acre  just  the  same."  I  do  not  think  it  is  near  the  work 
to  grow  grapes  as  it  is  corn,  and  you  make  more  profit. 

F.  HOLSINGER:  All  should  raise  grapes  for  family  use,  if  not  for  market.  The 
question  has  been  asked,  "How  can  we  keep  them  from  ripening  so  early?"  I 
put  mine  in  paper  sacks  [on  the  vine]  last  year,  and  the  result  was  we  had  grapes 
a  month  later  than  usual.  I  did  not  sack  them  early  enough  to  prevent  a  little 
rot  from  getting  on  them. 

WILLIAM  CUTTER:  The  Concord  may  be  left  on  the  vines  long  after  most 
people  think  they  must  be  marketed.  Many  vines  are  stripped  [of  grapes]  before 
fully  ripe;  some  drop  off,  but  what  do  stick  improve  as  long  as  they  hang  on. 
My  Catawbas  hang  on  the  vines  very  late.  The  only  loss  from  letting  them  hang 
long  is  by  grasshoppers  and  bees. 

JAMES  McNicoL,  Marion  county :  I  raise  more  Worden  than  Concord.  Cut- 
ter speaks  about  picking  grapes  not  fully  ripe.  If  I  can  get  one-half  a  cent  more 
[per  pound]  for  green  grapes,  I  sell  them.  The  first  brought  me  twenty  cents 
per  basket;  two  or  three  days  afterward  I  could  get  only  fifteen  cents. 

T.  W.  HARRISON:  Moore's  Diamond  is  as  delicious  a  grape  as  I  ever  tried. 
Some  do  not  succeed  with  it.  It  does  splendidly  with  me ;  ripens  very  early,  and 
gets  into  the  market  before  the  Concord.  Worden  is  also  a  fine  grape.  Mr. 
Buckman  has  many  varieties.  If  he  will  tell  about  them,  we  will  appreciate  it. 

A.  H.  BUCKMAN,  Shawnee  county :  I  have  many  varieties  planted  for  experi- 
mental purposes,  and  not  for  profit.  My  two  boys  think  a  great  deal  of  them ; 
getting  them  interested  in  grapes  helps  to  keep  them  on  the  farm,  and  thus  I 
succeed  better.  My  returns  have  been  in  pleasing  my  boys.  I  think  they  pay 
me  as  well  as  anything  on  the  farm.  Moore's  Early  has  paid  pretty  well,  and 
Moore's  Diamond  also.  I  think  the  Eaton  the  most  successful  with  me.  The 
Green  Mountain,  a  very  sweet,  little,  white  grape,  I  have  no  doubt  would  sell 
well  on  the  market.  It  ripens  about  the  1st  of  August,  and  is  an  awful  good 
bearer.  I  have  Early  Ohio  which  were  ripe  the  1st  day  of  August.  The  Green 
Mountain  comes  about  a  week  later.  Early  Ohio  is  the  earliest  grape  I  know, 
excepting  one  our  friend,  Mr.  Entsminger,  at  Silver  Lake,  has,  and  calls  his 
"Daisy,"  which  ripens  about  the  2d  of  July.  The  Brighton  is  a  good  grape,  and 
always  a  seller.  What  I  am  looking  for  is  a  grape  a  little  better  than  any  now 
grown.  My  boys  say  they  prefer  Moore's  Early,  Woodruff  Red,  and  Goethe.  I 
have  many  grapes  which  I  think  better  than  Concord.  It  pays,  and  is  not  a 
very  big  job  to  trim  grape-vines. 

GEORGE  P.  WHITEKER,  Shawnee  county :  The  grape  crop  of  1898  was  about 
one-half  what  it  was  in  1897,  as  near  as  I  can  learn.  Some  vineyards  that  yielded 
heavily  last  year  proved  almost  a  complete  failure  this.  The  grapes  this  year 
rotted  and  dropped  off  badly.  Many  attribute  this  to  the  heavy  rains  last 
spring ;  our  limited  experience  in  grape  growing  does  not  permit  us  to  express 
an  opinion  regarding  the  matter.  In  1894  we  planted  a  vineyard  of  twenty  acres; 
last  year  we  gathered  14,900  eight-pound  baskets,  which  we  sold  at  an  average  of 
ten  cents  per  basket,  making  a  total  of  $1490;  counting  off  ten  per  cent,  com- 
mission for  selling,  cost  of  basket  two  and  one-half  cents,  one  cent  per  basket  for 
picking,  we  have  the  total  cost  of  marketing,  which  is  $670.50;  net  on  the  14,900 
baskets,  $819.50.  This  season  the  same  vines  yielded  only  7178  baskets;  less 
than  one- half  what  they  yielded  last  season.  This  year  we  sold  our  grapes  at  an 
average  of  fourteen  and  one-half  cents  per  basket,  making  a  total  of  $1040.81. 


110  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

Total  expense  of  same,  including  baskets,  commission,  and  picking,  same  as  last 
season,  $355.31;  making  net,  $685.50.  While  our  crop  last  year  was  almost 
double  what  it  was  this  season,  our  actual  gain  was  only  $134,  as  you  see.  The 
large  yield  last  year  caused  the  price  to  drop,  while  the  expense  of  marketing 
was  almost  double  that  of  this  year. '  We  believe,  for  the  money  and  labor  spent, 
our  grapes  yield  the  largest  returns  of  any  crop  we  raise,  excepting  peaches. 
These,  of  course,  are  not  always  a  sure  crop.  From  our  experience,  we  find  it 
does  not  pay  to  put  grapes  in  cold  storage,  as  the  New  York  grapes  come  into 
market  immediately  after  grapes  are  done  here.  The  first  New  York  grapes  we 
bought  this  season  cost  us  twelve  and  one-half  cents  laid  down  here,  and  were  of 
superior  quality. 

MR.  DUKELOW,  Reno  county :  I  have  twenty  acres  of  grapes,  and  I  find  four 
kinds  that  pay:  Moore's  Early,  Culver,  Catawba,  and  Niagara.  I  have  some 
other  varieties,  but  they  do  not  amount  to  anything.  Only  these  four  are  any 
good.  The  best  is  Moore's  Early,  an  excellent  bearer,  and  of  good  quality.  I 
shipped  a  good  many  grapes  to  Oklahoma  City. 

Question :   Did  you  get  any  better  prices  for  them  down  there  ? 

Answer  :  I  ship  Catawbas  mostly.  I  do  n't  get  any  more  for  them  than  I  did 
for  Moore's  Early. 

Q. :   Did  you  ever  raise  the  Champion  ? 

A.:  Yes,  sir,  some  years  ago;  and  I  never  gathered  the  last  crop  at  all;  they 
did  little  good. 

Q.:  How  much  difference  in  the  time  of  ripening  is  there  between  Moore's 
Early  and  other  grapes  ?v 

'A . :   Moore's  Early  are  all  gone  before  the  others  commence. 

J.  L.  WILLIAMS,  Jackson  county :  I  have  been  raising  a  few  grapes  for  my  own 
use  more — particularly  for  myself  and  for  home  use  —  and  it  do  n't  pay.  The  most 
profitable  grape  with  me  is  Moore's  Early.  It  comes  before  the  Concord,  and  I 
get  better  prices  for  it  than  for  any  other.  For  the  Concord,  for  the  last  two 
years,  we  got  about  one  cent  a  pound.  I  have  trouble  to  sell  them  all.  One  year 
I  made  some  wine  for  church  use,  and  they  paid  six  cents  a  pint ;  at  that  rate  I 
received  twenty-one  cents  a  pound  [basket?]  for  the  grapes. 

A  DELEGATE  :  A  valuable  grape  that  has  not  been  mentioned  is  the  Wirt ;  it 
comes  in  right  after  Moore's  Early,  bears  heavy,  and  is  generally  ready  for 
market  .before  the  first  Concords.  It  is  a  heavy  bearer,  and  best- flavored  grape 
I  know.  Last  year  was  the  first  time  it  failed  to  ripen  ahead  of  the  Concord ; 
this  year  it  came  in  with  the  Concord.  The  Niagara  is  another  good  grape.  It 
is  a  heavy  bearer,  and  I  think  the  only  profitable  white  grape. 

F.  W.  DIXON,  Jackson  county:  We  grow  a  few  grapes,  simply  for  our  own 
use.  I  have  only  Concord,  Niagara,  and  Moore's  Early.  Moore's  Early  and 
Niagara  will  bear  ten  pounds  where  Concord  bears  one.  I  had  a  fine  crop  of 
grapes  until  the  little  birds  got  at  them,  and  in  a  few  hours  they  used  them  up. 
They  were  the  golden  robin  and  sparrow ;  they  came  to  the  grapes  in  clouds. 

A.  L.  BROOKE,  Shawnee  county:  I  do  n't  know  a  little  bit  about  grapes,  but 
I  want  to  tell  something  good  -that  some  other  men  know.  If  you  want  a  good 
grape,  one  that  is  better  than  any  other  grape,  raise  Norton's  Virginia. 

F.  HOLSINGER:  I  am  located  in  town,  and  when  my  grapes  ripen  the  sparrows 
take  them;  they  soon  destroy  the  whole  crop.  You  can  remedy  that  by  sacking 
the  grapes;  it  won't  pay  to  sack  grapes,  excepting  a  few  for  home'use;  but  you 
can  preserve  them  in  that  way.  There  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  sacking 
grapes.  The  proper  time  is  when  the  blossom  has  fallen.  [When  the  size  of 
bird  shot. — SEC.]  I  usually  take  two-pound  paper  sacks.  They  sell  for  forty- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  Ill 

five  cents  a  thousand,  and  where  they  are  conveniently  together  I  put  two- 
bunches  in  each  sack.  It  will  also  stop  insect  ravages.  I  also  have  grapes  in 
the  country,  but  the  birds  do  not  bother  them  much.  If  you  are  living  in  town 
it  will  pay  you  to  sack  your  grapes. 

MR.  DUKELOW:  Plant  white  Kafir-corn  close  to  the  grapes,  so  that  it  will  be 
ripe  at  about  the  same  time  as  the  grapes  are.  It  is  a  great  preventive.  The 
birds  will  eat  the  seeds  of  the  Kafir  and  let  the  grapes  alone. 

J.  W.  ROBISON,  Butler  county:  How  many  acres  of  Kafir-corn  would  it  take 
to  protect  an  acre  of  grapes  near  Kansas  City  ? 

W.  L.  HALL,  Riley  county:  We  have  160  varieties  of  grapes  under  test  at  tha 
experiment  station,  at  Manhattan.  One  variety  I  wish  to  mention  favorably — it- 
is  the  Eldorado.  It  ripens  about  with  the  Concord.  It  does  not  have  the  clus- 
ter or  bunch  of  the  Niagara,  but  in  quality  it  far  exceeds  the  Niagara.  We  have; 
shown  them  to  many  persons,  and  on  testing,  they  pronounce  them  better  in 
every  way  than  anything  else. 

Question  :  Have  you  the  Columbian  in  your  collection  ? 

Answer  :  Yes,  sir;  there  is  a  jar  of  them  on  the  table.  They  are  very  hardy  r 
and  promise  to  make  a  good  grape  for  market.  It  is  as  large,  if  not  larger,  than 
any  we  have.  I  have  measured  them  one  and  one-fourth  inches  in  diameter.  It 
originated  in  Ohio. 

Q. :  Do  you  consider  it  a  valuable  grape  ? 

A. :  If  the  people  can  get  a  chance  to  taste,  it  will  sell  all  right. 

A.  H.  BUCKMAN,  Shawnee  county:  I  have  no  grapes  to  sell,  but  I  want  to 
say  a  good  word  for  the  Green  Mountain  and  Diamond.  I  grow  the  Niagara,  and 
it  is  seldom  profitable.  I  consider  it  no  better  than  the  Rogers  or  some  others, 
It  is  not  as  hardy  as  Green  Mountain.  The  Green  Mountain  is  the  earliest  grape 
we  have.  It  comes  before  Moore's  Early,  and  there  is  no  question  as  to  its  quality. 

WILLIAM  CUTTER  :  I  have  about  seventy-five  varieties  of  grapes ;  among  them 
is  a  seedling  of  my  own  that  ripens  after  all  others  that  I  have ;  but  it  ripen* 
imperfectly  in  many  parts  of  Kansas.  If  it  ever  becomes  of  value,  it  must  ripen 
a  little  earlier  or  be  planted  farther  south.  It  is  much  like  the  Concord  when 
ripe.  The  bunches  are  very  large.  Two  other  grapes  have,  I  think,  been  slighted 
here.  One  is  Moore's  Diamond,  the  most  productive  grape  I  have,  but  a  poor 
keeper.  The  Green  Mountain  is  too  small,  excepting  for  children  to  eat.  The 
Campbell's  Early  bore  with  me  this  year  before  Moore's  Early.  It  is  smaller  in 
size  than  Moore's  Early,  but  the  bunch  is  larger.  It  is  a  good  keeper. 


VINEYARDS. 

The  following  was  read  and  discussed  at  the  thirty-third  meeting  of  the 
Kansas  State  Horticultural  Society,  1899: 

M.  E.  CHANDLER,  Argentine,  Kan.:  The  grape  crop  was  not  very  encourag- 
ing for  the  majority  of  growers  in  the  vicinity  of  Kansas  City.  This  was  due  to- 
the  extreme  cold  of  winter  and  the  rot  of  summer.  The  crop  was  reduced  to 
about  thirty  per  cent.  Vines  have  grown  well  this  summer  and  are  in  fine  con- 
dition for  a  crop  next  year.  Grapes  affected  with  black  rot  were  mostly  on  black 
soil  or  high  prairie.  With  us,  on  sandy,  clay  soil,  the  rot  was  less  than  five  per 
cent,  and  the  crop  about  twenty-five  per  cent.  The  black  rot  is  carried  through 
winter  in  the  dried  grapes  and  leaves.  The  black  rot  is  first  visible  as  a  brown 
speck,  spreading  throughout  the  vine.  The  spores  are  carried  through  the  air 
and  germinated  with  the  presence  of  water.  Downy  mildew  is  a  parasitic  plant 


112  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

running  through  the  tissues  of  the  vine,  and  appears  on  the  side  of  the  leaves  as 
a  whitish  spot.  Another  disease  is  anthracnose,  of  European  origin,  which  at- 
tacks the  leaves,  twigs,  and  green  shoots ;  its  common  name  is  bird's-eye  rot.  It 
first  attacks  the  fruit ;  as  it  progresses  it  leaves  bits  of  diseased  tissue  upon  the 
shoots  and  leaves.  It  is  related  to  black  rot.  Remedies  for  the  above  dis- 
eases: Spray  with  copper  sulphate  for  black  rot,  and  Bordeaux  mixture  for 
downy  mildew,  and  ammoniacal  solution  of  copper  carbonate  and  kerosene  emul- 
sion for  anthracnose  (six  ounces  pulverized  ammonia  carbonate  and  one  ounce 
of  copper  carbonate,  in  ten  gallons  of  water).  Grapes  should  be  sacked  to  keep 
in  perfect  condition.  Agawam,  Goethe,  Lindley,  Wilder,  Salem  and  Delaware 
were  killed  to  the  ground.  Champion  was  injured.  Diseased  grape-vines  should 
be  trimmed  in  the  fall,  [and  the  trimmings]  raked  up  and  burned.  Spray  early 
in  the  spring,  when  the  buds  begin  to  swell.  As  commercial  grapes,  I  would 
recommend  Moore's  Early,  Worden  and  Concord  for  black ;  as  table  grapes, 
Niagara,  Moore's  Diamond  and  Green  Mountain  for  white,  Moyer,  Delaware, 
Lindley  and  Goethe  for  red  and  pink.  New  grapes  are  Campbell's  Early  and 
Green  Mountain. 

MR.  KENOYER:  In  regard  to  the  speaker's  recommendations  of  three  different 
spray  materials,  all  virtually  the  same,  for  the  three  different  grape  diseases  he 
mentions,  it  seems  to  me  it  would  require  so  much  spraying  that  it  would  not  be 
profitable.  By  using  the  one  mixture,  which  contains  virtually  the  same  fungi- 
cide that  the  other  two  contain,  the  one  spraying  for  all  diseases  would  "kill  all 
three  birds  at  one  shot." 

MR.  CHANDLER  :  I  advised  using  the  copper-sulphate  early  in  the  spring,  and 
after  the  leaves  were  out  I  would  use  the  Bordeaux  mixture. 

MR.  KENOYER:  In  using  the  copper-sulphate  solution,  most  of  us  cannot 
afford  to  buy  a  barrel  spray  pump ;  but  if  we  use  one  that  is  not  copper-lined 
throughout,  with  that  mixture,  without  the  lime,  we  would  destroy  our  pump 
in  one  season,  while  putting  the  lime  in  would  make  it  last  for  perhaps  eight  or  ten 
years,  and,  with  the  lime  in  it,  the  mixture  will  accomplish  the  same  end  and 
save  our  pumps. 


WHY  SOME  GRAPES  FAIL  TO  FRUIT. 
By  F.  H.  HALL,  in  Bulletin  No.  157  of  New  York  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

Careful  observation  among  grape  culturists  long  ago  noted  the  fact  that  some 
varieties  failed,  for  unknown  reasons,  to  set  fruit.  Barry,  Herbert,  Brighton, 
Eumelan  and  several  other  varieties,  when  set  alone  in  vineyards,  or  in  blocks 
remote  from  other  sorts,  proved  shy  bearers,  producing  only  a  few  bunches  of  a 
straggling  character,  or  were  complete  failures.  These  same  grapes,  in  vine- 
yards no  more  favorably  located  but  composed  of  mixed  varieties,  gave  heavy 
yields  of  large  and  complete  bunches.  What  caused  this  ?  Every  grower  knows 
that  certain  varieties  of  strawberries  will  not  fruit  when  set  alone,  because  the 
stamens  which  should  furnish  the  pollen,  or  male  element,  are  lacking.  The 
flowers  of  cultivated  grapes,  however,  are  perfect,  so  the  defect  in  this  case  is  not 
evident  to  any  casual  inspection.  It  had  been  suggested  that  the  flowers  of  these 
capriciously  fruiting  varieties  are  self-sterile;  that  is,  that  they  will  not  become 
fruitful  under  the  influence  of  pollen  from  flowers  of  the  same  variety;  but  no 
systematic  investigation  on  this  subject  had  been  made  previous  to  this  station's 
work. 

Do  these  varieties  known  to  be  shy  bearers  require  pollen  from  other  varieties 
to  insure  fruiting  ?  If  so,  how  general  is  this  defect  among  the  cultivated  varie- 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  113 

ties  and  which  sorts  belong  to  the  defective  class  ?  What  is  the  cause  of  this 
condition,  and  how  may  its  existence  in  any  variety  be  recognized?  To  answer 
these  queries  and  other  associated  ones,  the  station  in  1892  began  a  series  of  ob- 
servations and  experiments  and  has  continued  the  work  each  year  since  that 
time. 

The  method  used  was  simple,  but  the  amount  of  work  required  great.  Vines 
of  the  different  varieties  in  apparently  healthy,  productive  condition  were  se- 
lected, and  two  or  more  well-formed  flower  clusters  on  each  vine  were  enclosed, 
before  the  flowers  opened,  in  manila  paper  bags.  [See  page  18  of  this  book. — 
SEC.]  When  the  flowers  open,  as  they  do  perfectly  although  bagged,  they  can  re- 
ceive pollen  from  no  other  variety ;  that  is,  they  must  become  self- pollinated,  not 
cross-pollinated. 

If  they  produce  fruit  under  these  conditions  the  variety  is  self- fertile;  but  if, 
repeatedly,  in  different  years  and  in  different  vineyards,  the  flowers  bear  nofruita 
or  but  a  few  straggling  berries,  the  variety  is  self-sterile,  or  practically  so. 

In  the  tests  carried  on  in  four  vineyards  at  Geneva,  one  at  Branchport,  and 
one  at  Penn  Yan,  and  continued  for  seven  years,  169  cultivated  varieties  have 
been  under  experiment.  One- fourth  of  the  varieties  have  borne  perfect,  coin- 
pact  clusters  in  the  bags;  more  than  one -third  produce  clusters  not  quite  perfect 
but  still  marketable;  about  one-sixth  of  the  varieties  produce  a  few  fruits,  but 
not  enough  to  make  salable  bunches ;  and  nearly  one-fourth  of  all  tested  produce 
no  fruit  whatever  when  cross-pollination  is  prevented.  The  list  of  varieties  thus 
classified  follows. 

Those  marked  1  bloom  very  early ;  2,  medium  early ;  3,  middle  of  the  season  ; 
4,  late ;  5,  very  late.  Those  marked  with  a  star  are  described  elsewhere  in  this 
book. 

CLASS  1. — Clusters  perfect,  or  varying  from  perfect  to  somewhat  loose. 

3  Ambrosia.  5  Hopkins'.  *4  Niagara. 

3  Antoinette.  *1  Janesville.  4  Opal. 

*2  Berckman's.  *  4  Lady  Washington.  *4  Poughkeepsie. 

3  Bertha.  3  Leaven  worth.  *3  Pocklington. 

3  Columbia.  2  Lutie.  3  Profitable. 

*3  Cottage.  3  Mabel.  *4  Prentiss. 

*3  Croton.  Marvin  Seedling  *  4  Rochester. 

*3  Delaware.  White.  3  Rutland. 

*4  Diamond.  1  Mary  Favorite.  Senasqua. 

*3  Diana.  4  Mathilde.  3  Shelby. 

5  Early  Golden.  4  Metternich.  *  3  Telegraph. 

2  Etta.  4  Monroe.  3  Winchell. 

3  Herald.  *4  Moore's  Early.  *3  Worden. 

CLASS  2. — Clusters  marketable  ;   moderately  compact  or  loose. 

*3  Agawam.  *3  Chandler.  5  Fern  Munson. 

3  Alice.  3  Chautauqua.  3  Glenfeld. 

3  Arkansaw.  *  1  Clinton.  4  Golden  Grain. 
5  Bailey.  *3  Colerain.  *3  Hartford. 

5  Big  B.  Con.  *4  Concord.  4  Highland. 

5  Big  Extra.  5  Dr.  Collier.  4  Hopican. 

*3  Brilliant.  *3  Duchess.  3  Illinois  City. 

2  Brown.  -  3  Early  Market.  *3  lona. 

4  Burroivs's  No.  4%0.  *3  Early  Ohio.  4  Isabella. 

*4  Carman.  *3  Early  Victor.  3  Isabella  Seedling. 

*4  Catawba.  3  Edmestorfs  No.  1.  *  4  Jefferson. 

2  Cay  wood's  No.  50.  5  Elsinburg.  *  4  Jessica. 

*4  Centennial.  *2  Elvira.  *4  Lady. 

*2  Champion  (Cort-  *3  Empire  State.  4  Leader. 

land).  3  Esther.  4  Lindmar. 

-8 


114  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

CLASS  2 —  concluded. 

3  Little  Blue.  *3  Paragon.                               3  Skull's  No.  3. 

3  Livingston.  *3  Perkins.                                3  Standard. 

3  Marie  Louise.  3  Rockwood.                           4  Triumph. 

*3  Mills.  3  Rogers' s  No.  13.  *2  Ulster. 

*  3  Missouri  Reisling.  3  Rogers' s  No.  24.  *  3  Victoria. 

Norfolk.  3  Rogers' s  No.  32.                3  Wheaton. 

3  Olita.  *3  Rommel.                               3  Witt. 

3  Paradox. 

CLASS  3. —  Clusters  unmarketable. 


4  Adirondack. 

4  Denison. 

*2  Noah. 

3  Alexander  Winter. 

*3  Dracut  Amber. 

*3  Northern  Muscadine. 

3  Amber  Queen. 

*4  Eumelan. 

3  Norwood. 

2  Beagle. 

*4  Geneva. 

3  Pearl. 

5  Big  Hope. 

4  Gold  Dust. 

4  Roenbeck. 

*4  Brighton. 

*4  Hayes. 

3  Thompson's  No.  5. 

Canada. 

*4  Lindley. 

3  Thompson's  No.  7. 

4  Canonicus. 

1  Marion. 

*4  Vergennes. 

3  Daisy. 

3  Nectar. 

*3  Woodruff. 

CLASS  4.  —  Self-sterile;  no  fruit  develops 

on  covered  clusters. 

4  Aledo. 

2  Elvibach. 

3  Montefiore. 

3  Amber  (?). 

3  Essex. 

3  Oneida. 

4  America. 

2  Faith  (?). 

3  Red  Bird. 

3  Aminia. 

4  Gaertner. 

Red  Eagle. 

*3  Barry. 

*3  Green's  Golden. 

3  Requa. 

4  Black  Eagle. 

*3  Herbert. 

4  Rogers's  No.  5. 

4  Blanco. 

3  Hercules. 

4  Roscoe. 

4  Burnet. 

*3  Jewel. 

4  Rustler. 

1  Clevener. 

4  Juno. 

*3  Salem. 

3  Creveiing. 

*4  Massasoit. 

2  White  Jewel. 

5  Dr.  Hexamer. 

3  Maxatawney  (?). 

*4  Wilder. 

*4  Eaton  (?). 

*3  Merrimac. 

*3  Wyoming. 

*4  Eldorado. 

The  first  two  classes  include  the  great  majority  of  commercially  profitable 
varieties.  Since  the  varieties  in  classes  3  and  4  will  not  fruit  well  when  standing 
alone,  they  should  be  planted  beside  other  grapes  which  bloom  at  the  eame  time. 
As  a  guide  to  the  blooming  season,  figures  1,  2,  3,  4  and  5  have  been  placed  oppo- 
site varieties  in  bloom  at  approximately  the  same  date.  Grapes  belonging  to  the 
vulpina  ( riparia )  species,  river  grapes,  of  which  Clinton  and  Marion  are  examples, 
are  first  in  bloom ;  then  the  cestivalis  species,  summer  grapes,  of  Mills  and  Ulster 
type;  later,  the  fox  grapes,  or  labruscas.  Concord,  Isabella,  etc.;  and  last,  the 
post  oak  grapes  (Vitis  lincecumii),  and  other  species  whose  natural  home  is 
the  Southwest.  There  is,  of  course,  no  marked  line  of  separation  between  the 
groups  given,  many  of  the  earlier  varieties  extending  their  period  of  bloom  nearly 
as  long  as  other  varieties  in  the  group  following,  so  that  early  bloomers  might  be 
fertilized  to  some  extent  by  a  later  class. 

The  physiological  explanation  for  this  condition  of  self-sterility  has  not  been 
absolutely  determined,  but  the  failure  is  probably  due  to  a  lack  of  affinity  be- 
tween the  pollen  and  pistils  of  the  same  variety.  It  is  a  phenomenon  very  similar 
to  the  failure  of  mules  and  other  hybrids  to  breed,  and  probably  due  to  the  same 
causes;  for  most,  if  not  all,  the  varieties  found  to  be  sterile  or  nearly  so  are 
hybrids  between  different  botanical  species  of  grapes. 

All  of  the  perfect-fruiting  varieties  were  found  to  have  long  stamens;  and  all 
varieties  which  had  short  stamens,  as  well  as  a  few  which  had  long  stamens,  gave 
imperfect  fruit  or  none  at  all.  "The  fact  that  a  variety  has  short  stamens  may 
be  taken  as  pretty  sure  evidence  that  it  is  self-sterile";  but,  as  stated,  not  all 
varieties  with  long  stamens  are  self-fertile. 


THE  GRAPE  IN  KANSAS.  115 


DO  BEES  DESTROY  GRAPES? 

Many  of  our  vineyardists  claim  that  bees  destroy  grapes,  and  the  matter 
been  a  source  of  debate  and  discussion  in  all  neighborhoods  where  bees  are  kept 
and  grapes  are  grown.  We  have  looked  up  authorities  on  this  subject,  and  offer 
the  following  extracts : 

From  "Bee-keeping  in  Relation  to  Horticulture,"  read  before  the  Kansas  State  Horticultural 
Society,  by  EMERSON  TAYLOR  ABBOTT,  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

"Many  fruit-growers  persist  in  saying  that  bees  do  in  jure  ripe  fruit,  especially 
the  grape.  They  have  been  accused  of  eating  up  the  fruit  of  entire  vineyards, 
and  some  claim  that  they  have  destroyed  apples,  pears,  plums,  and,  possibly, 
corn  and  pumpkins. 

"Now,  what  are  the  facts?  Do  bees  ever  suck  the  juice  of  grapes?  Yes, 
when  the  grapes  burst  from  overripeness,  or  when  punctured  by  other  insects,  as 
wasps  and  hornets,  they  will  suck  every  drop  of  juice.  When  grapes  are  left  on 
the  vines  until  overripe,  as  is  often  done,  and  there  are  many  bees  near,  they  be- 
come troublesome,  if  not  dangerous,  to  those  engaged  in  gathering  the  fruit.  It 
yet  remains  to  be  proven  that  the  honey-bee  ever  injured  any  sound  fruit  or 
punctured  a  perfect  grape. 

"  A  few  years  ago  the  United  States  government  employed  a  special  agent  to" 
investigate,  and,  after  repeated  tests  and  experiments,  he  said :  'My  observations 
and  experiences  with  bees  in  confinement  and  those  having  free  access  to  vine- 
yards furnish  abundant  proof  to  convince  me  that  bees  do  not  and  cannot  injure 
sound  fruit.'  This  man  was  not  influenced  by  selfish  interests,  and  had  no  rea- 
son for  making  any  false  statement.  All  unbiased  testimony  since  corroborates 
his  statement.  I  have  tested  the  matter  with  nearly  200  colonies  of  bees  by  the 
side  of  a  two-acre  vineyard,  from  which  I  harvested  a  large  crop  of  ripe  grapesr 
and  with  this  experience  of  my  own,  and  the  testimony  of  others  to  bear  me  out, 
I  say  bees  never  injure  sound  fruit.  The  bee  is  not  built  that  way.  While  its 
mandibles  are  very  strong,  yet  they  are  not  suited  to  cutting,  as  any  one  can  see 
by  examining  them  with  a  microscope.  The  jaw  is  not  notched,  but  perfectly 
smooth,  and  bears  nothing  that  resembles  teeth.  It  would  require  teeth  like  a 
squirrel  in  order  to  do  much  that  is  charged  to  it." 

From  Langstroth  on  "The  Hive  and  Honey-bee,"  1899. 

"Aristotle  remarked,  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago,  that  bees  hurt  no 
kind  of  sound  fruit,  but  wasps  and  hornets  are  very  destructive  to  them.  This 
accusation  of  bees  injuring  fruit  has  become  of  so  much  importance  in  the  past 
few  years,  especially  in  the  best  fruit  and  bee  country  of  the  world,  California, 
that  we  deem  it  necessary  to  give  it  a  whole  chapter.  While  the  honey-bee  is  re- 
garded by  the  best- informed  horticulturists  as  a  friend,  a  strong  prejudice  has 
been  excited  against  it  by  many  fruit-growers,  and  in  some  communities  a  man 
who  keeps  bees  is  considered  as  bad  a  neighbor  as  one  who  allows  his  poultry  to 
despoil  the  gardens  of  others.  Even  some  warm  friends  of  the  "busy  bee"  may 
be  heard  lamenting  its  propensity  to  banquet  on  their  beautiful  peaches  and 
pears  and  choicest  grapes  and  plums.  That  bees  do  gather  the  sweet  juice  of 
fruits  when  nothing  else  is  to  be  found,  is  certain;  but  it  is  also  evident  that 
their  jaws,  being  adapted  chiefly  to  the  manipulation  of  wax,  are  too  feeble  to  en- 
able them  to  puncture  the  skin  of  the  most  delicate  grapes. 

"We  made  experiments  in  our  apiary  on  bees  and  grapes  during  the  season 
of  1879 — one  of  the  worst  seasons  we  ever  knew  for  bees.  The  summer  having 
been  exceedingly  dry,  the  grape  crop  was  large  and  the  honey  crop  small.  In 


116  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

•every  vineyard  a  number  of  ripe  grapes  were  eaten  by  bees,  and  the  grape 
growers  in  our  vicinity  were  so  positively  certain  that  the  bees  were  guilty,  that 
they  held  a  meeting  to  petition  the  state  legislature  for  a  law  preventing  any  one 
from  owning  more  than  ten  hives  of  bees.  This  serious  charge  called  our  atten- 
tion to  the  matter,  and  we  decided  to  make  a  thorough  investigation  in  our  own 
vineyard.  But,  although  many  bees  were  seen  banqueting  on  grapes,  not  one 
was  doing  any  mischief  to  the  sound  fruit.  Grapes  which  were  bursted  on  the 
vines  or  lying  on  the  ground,  and  the  moist  stems  from  which  grapes  had  re- 
cently been  plucked,  were  covered  with  bees ;  while  other  bees  were  observed  to 
alight  upon  bunches  which,  when  found  by  careful  inspection  to  be  sound,  they 
left  with  evident  disappointment.  Wasps  and  hornets,  which  secrete  no  wax, 
toeing  furnished  with  strong,  saw-like  jaws  for  cutting  the  woody  fiber  with 
which  they  build  their  combs,  can  easily  penetrate  the  skin  of  the  toughest 
fruit.  While  the  bees,  therefore,  appeared  to  be  comparatively  innocent,  multi- 
tudes of  these  depredators  were  seen  helping  themselves  to  the  best  of  the 
.grapes.  Occasionally  a  bee  would  presume  to  alight  on  a  bunch  where  one  of 
these  pests  was  operating  for  his  own  benefit,  when  the  latter  would  turn  and 
-'show  fight,'  much  after  the  fashon  of  a  snarling  dog  molested  by  another  of  his 
-species  while  daintily  discussing  his  own  private  bone. 

"During  grape  picking,  the  barrels  in  which  our  grapes  were  hauled  to  the 
wine-cellar  were  covered  with  a  cloud  of  bees  feeding  on  the  damaged  clusters, 
and  they  followed  the  wagon  to  the  cellar.  After  removing  the  barrels  to  a  place 
of  safety,  we  left  one  bunch  of  sound  grapes  on  the  wagon,  puncturing  one  of  the 
grapes  with  a  pin.  This  bunch,  being  the  only  one  remaining  exposed,  was  at 
once  so  covered  with  a  swarm  of  bees  that  it  was  entirely  hidden  from  sight.  It 
was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  At  sunset  the  bees  were  all  gone,  excepting 
three,  who  were  too  exhausted  to  fly  off.  The  bunch  had  lost  its  bloom ;  the 
grapes  were  shiny,  but  entirely  sound.  The  one  punctured  grape  had  a  slight 
depression  at  the  pin-hole,  showing  that  the  bees  had  sucked  all  the  juice  they 
could  reach,  but  they  had  not  even  enlarged  the  hole.  We  also  placed  bunches 
of  sound  grapes  inside  of  some  four  or  five  hives  of  bees,  directly  over  the  frames, 
and  three  weeks  after  we  found  that  the  bees  had  glued  them  fast  to  the  combs, 
as  they  glue  up  anything  they  cannot  get  rid  of,  but  the  grapes  were  perfectly 
intact. 

"Mr.  McLain,  in  charge  of  the  United  States  agricultural  station,  was  in- 
structed to  test  this  matter  thoroughly  by  shutting  up  bees  with  sound  fruit, 
and  the  result  was  the  same  as  in  our  case.  [See  elsewhere.]  The  main  dam- 
age to  grapes  is  done  by  birds ;  hence,  the  borders  of  a  large  vineyard  are  first  to 
suffer,  especially  when  in  proximity  to  hedges,  orchards,  or  timber.  Even  in 
small  cities  the  number  of  birds  that  feed  on  fruit  is  extraordinary,  and  one  can 
have  no  idea  of  their  depredations  until  he  has  watched  for  them  at  daybreak, 
which  is  the  time  best  suited  to  their  pilfering.  After  the  mischief  has  been 
'begun  by  them  or  by  insects,  or  wherever  a  crack  or  spot  of  decay  is  seen,  the 
honey-bee  hastens  to  help  itself,  on  the  principle  of  'gathering  up  the  frag- 
ments, that  nothing  may  be  lost.'  In  this  way  they  undoubtedly  do  some  mis- 
chief, but  they  are,  on  the  whole,  far  more  useful  than  injurious." 

From  "Bee  Keeper's  Guide,"  by  A.  J.  Cook,  1899. 
"Bees  gather  juices  of  questionable  repute  from  grapes  and  other  fruit  which 
have  been  crushed,  or  eaten  and  torn,  by  wasps  and  other  insects.  That  bees 
ever  tear  grapes  is  a  question  of  which  I  have  failed  to  receive  any  personal  proof, 
though  for  years  I  have  been  carefully  seeking  it.  I  have  lived  among  the  vine- 
yards of  California,  and  have  often  watched  bees  about  vines  in  Michigan,  but 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  117 

never  saw  bees  tear  open  grapes.  I  have  laid  crushed  grapes  in  the  apiary,  when* 
the  bees  were  not  gathering,  and  were  ravenous  for  stores,  which,  when  covered 
with  sipping  bees,  were  replaced  with  sound  grape  clusters,  which  in  no  instance 
were  mutilated.  I  have  even  shut  bees  in  empty  hives,  on  warm  days,  and  closed 
the  entrance  with  grape  clusters,  which  even  then  were  not  cut.  I  have  thus- 
been  led  to  doubt  if  bees  ever  attack  sound  grapes,  though  quick  to  improve  the 
opportunities  which  the  oriole's  beak  and  stronger  jaws  of  wasps  offer  them. 
My  friend,  Professor  Prentiss,  suggests  that  when  the  weather  is  very  warm  and 
damp,  and  the  grapes  very  ripe,  the  juice  may  ooze  through  small  openings  of 
the  grapes,  and  so  attract  the  bees.  It  is  at  just  such  times  that  attacks  are  ob- 
served. I  feel  very  certain  that  bees  never  attack  sound  grapes.  I  judge  not 
only  from  observation  and  inquiry,  but  from  the  habits  of  the  bee.  Bees  never 
bore  for  nectar,  but  seek,  or  even  know,  only  of  that  which  is  fully  exposed." 

The  above  ought  to  convince  any  one  that  bees  do  not  eat  or  injure  sound 
grapes  or  fruit,  although  several  of  our  intelligent  correspondents  seem  to  think 
they  do.  Some  of  them  will  no  doubt  be  surprised  on  reading  the  above,  and  de- 
clare that  western  bees — Kansas  bees — are  a  different  variety,  and,  like  the  late 
lamented  colored  preacher,  who  declared  to  his  dying  day  that  "the  sun  do  move,'* 
they  will  still  declare  that  "bees  eat  grapes."  I  heard  a  horticulturist,  at  a  regu- 
lar meeting  of  the  Douglas  County  Horticultural  Society,  declare  that  "bees  ate 
anything,  even  young  ducks" ;  and  he  added,  "they  would  eat  a  dead  horse  and 
polish  his  bones." — SEC. 


REPORT  ON  APICULTURE. 

By  NELSON  McLAiN,  of  the  United  States  Agricultural  Station  at  Aurora,  111.    Taken  from  the- 
Report  of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  1885. 

BEES  vs.  FRUIT. — For  the  purpose  of  testing  the  capacity  of  bees,  under  excep- 
tional circumstances,  to  injure  fruit,  we  built  a  house  sixteen  feet  long  by  ten 
feet  wide,  and  eight  feet  high  at  the  corners.  Large  doors  were  hung  in  each 
end,  and  a  part  of  the  sidin'g  on  each  side  was  adapted  to  be  raised  up  on  hinges. 
Screen  doors  were  hung  on  the  inside  of  the  outer  doors,  and  wire  cloth  covered 
the  openings  on  the  sides,  where  the  siding  was  raised.  The  house  is  entirely 
bee-proof.  When  the  sides  are  raised  up  and  the  outer  doors  opened,  the  tem- 
perature and  light  in  the  house  are  substantially  the  same  as  outside.  Along  the 
sides  of  the  house  we  built  shelves  upon  which  fruit  was  placed  so  that  the  rays 
of  the  sun  might  strike  the  different  varieties  in  different  stages  of  ripeness,  from 
green  to  dead  ripe.  Plates  of  ripe  peaches,  pears,  plums,  grapes,  etc.,  were  placed 
on  the  shelves ;  clusters  of  different  kinds  of  grapes,  green  and  ripe,  sound  and 
imperfect,  and  such  as  had  been  stung  by  insects,  were  suspended  from  the  raft- 
ers and  crossties  of  the  house. 

The  1st  of  September  we  removed  three  colonies  of  bees  from  their  hives, 
carefully  and  quickly,  so  that  they  would  carry  very  little  honey  with  them  when 
transferred  from  one  hive  to  another.  Two  of  the  colonies  were  hybrid  bees,  and 
one  Italian.  These  colonies  were  hived  on  empty  combs,  and  placed  in  the  house 
with  the  fruit.  A  wood  stove  was  put  in  the  house,  and  for  a  number  of  hours' 
each  day  a  high  temperature  was  maintained.  The  physical  conditions  which 
would  ordinarily  prevail  in  nature  during  a  protracted  and  severe  drought  were 
artificially  produced  and  steadily  maintained. 

The  bees  were  brought  to  a  stage  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  starvation.  The 
house  was  kept  locked,  and  we  carried  the  key.  Every  inducement  and  oppor- 


118  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

tunity  were  afforded  the  bees  to  satisfy  their  hunger  and  thirst  by  attacking  the 
fruit  exposed.  They  daily  visited  the  fruit  in  great  n'umbers,  and  labored  dili- 
gently to  improve  the  only  remaining  source  of  subsistence.  They  inspected  and 
took  what  advantage  they  could  of  every  opening  at  the  stem  or  crack  in  the 
epidermis  or  puncture  made  by  insects,  which  deposited  their  eggs  in  the  skin 
of  grapes.  They  regarded  the  epidermis  of  the  peaches,  pears,  plums  and  other 
fruits  having  a  thick  covering  simply  as  subjects  for  inquiry  and  investigation, 
and  not  objects  for  attack.  If  the  skin  be  broken  or  removed,  they  will,  in  case 
of  need,  lap  and  suck  the  juice  exposed.  The  same  was  also  true  of  the  grapes; 
if  the  skin  be  broken  by  violence  or  burst  on  account  of  the  fruit  becoming  over- 
ripe, the  bees  lapped  and  sucked  the  juice  from  the  exposed  parts  of  the  grapes 
and  stored  it  in  the  cells  for  food.  They  made  no  attempt  to  grasp  the  cuticle 
of  grapes  with  their  mandibles  or  with  their  claws. 

If  the  grapes  were  cut  open  or  burst  from  overripe,  the  bees  would  lap  and 
suck  the  juice  from  the  exposed  segments  of  the  grape,  until  they  came  to  the 
tfilm  separating  the  exposed  and  broken  segments  from  the  unbroken  segments. 
Through  and  beyond  the  film  separating  the  segments  they  appear  to  be  unable 
to  penetrate.  I  removed  the  outer  skin  from  many  grapes  of  different  kinds,  tak- 
ing care  to  not  rupture  the  film  surrounding  the  pulp.  When  these  were  exposed 
to  the  bees,  they  continued  to  lap  and  suck  the  juice  from  the  outer  film  until  it 
was  dry  and  smooth  as  was  the  film  between  broken  and  unbroken  segments. 
They  showed  no  disposition  to  use  their  jaws  or  claws,  and  the  outer  film,  as  well 
as  the  film  between  broken  segments,  remained  whole  until  the  pulp  decayed  and 
dried  up. 

After  continuing  the  test  for  thirty  days,  using  such  varieties  of  fruit  as  could 
be  obtained,  we  sent  to  Michigan  for  varieties  not  obtainable  here.  Through  the 
kindness  and  favor  of  the  president  of  the  Michigan  Horticultural  Society,  Mr. 
T.  T.  Lyon,  of  South  Haven,  Mich.,  we  secured  twenty  varieties  of  grapes,  which 
arrived  in  excellent  condition.  Another  colony  of  Italian  bees  was  then  placed 
in  the  house  with  those  already  confined  for  forty  days,  and  the  twenty  varieties 
of  grapes  were  exposed  upon  plates  and  suspended  from  the  rafters  as  before. 
The  conditions  naturally  prevalent  during  a  severe  and  protracted  drought  were 
again  produced,  and  test  again  continued  for  twenty-five  days.  The  result  was 
simply  a  repetition  of  the  former  test. 

The  bees  showed  no  more  capacity  or  disposition  to  offer  violence  to  one  va- 
riety of  grapes  than  another.  No  more  attention  was  given  the  thin-skinned 
varieties  than  the  thick-skinned.  As  long  as  the  skin  remained  whole  they  did 
not  harm  the  grapes.  When  the  skins  were  broken  by  violence,  such  as  by  cut- 
ting or  squeezing,  the  juices  exposed  were  appropriated.  The  extent  of  the  dam- 
age bees  could  do  to  grapes  burst  from  overripeness  depends  on  the  extent  of 
the  rupture  in  the  film  surrounding  the  pulp.  A  wide  rupture  may  be  made  in 
the  epidermis,  or  it  may  be  removed,  and  if  the  film  is  unbroken  the  pulp  re- 
mains whole.  The  film  seldom  bursts  until  the  grape  is  about  to  decay,  or  has 
begun  to  decay,  and  then  the  grape  is  of  little  value.  In  order  to  determine  the 
size  of  the  opening  necessary  to  be  made  in  order  that  bees  might  injure  grapes, 
we  punctured  the  cuticle  of  the  grapes  in  several  bunches  with  cambric  needles 
of  various  sizes.  The  puncture  made  with  the  point  of  medium-sized  needles 
produced  no  effect.  Neither  does  the  puncture  made  by  the  sting  of  insects 
when  ovipositing,  until  the  blister  appears  and  decay  progresses  with  the  devel- 
opment of  insect  larvae.  I  found  that  I  might  pass  a  medium-sized  needle 
through  a  grape  from  side  to  side,  and  bees  could  obtain  no  juice  excepting  that 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  119 

oozing  from  the  puncture.  Many  erroneously  suppose  that  bees  sting  the  grapes. 
Bees  never  sting  excepting  in  self-defense  or  in  defense  of  their  homes  from  real 
or  imaginary  danger. 

At  times  when  bees  could  gather  nothing  in  the  fields,  we  saturated  clusters 
of  grapes  with  honey  and  suspended  them  in  front  of  the  hives  in  the  apiary,  and 
from  branches  of  trees  and  grape-vines  near  by.  Other  clusters,  dipped  in  honey 
and  syrup,  were  hung  in  the  house.  The  bees  thronged  upon  the  grapes  until 
the  clusters  looked  like  little  swarms  hanging  to  the  vines  and  limbs.  They 
lapped  the  grapes  until  the  skins  were  polished  perfectly  smooth  and  shining, 
like  the  inside  skin  of  an  onion,  and  no  taste  of  sweet  could  be  detected  by  touch- 
ing the  tongue  to  the  grape.  The  skins  of  the  grapes  were  left  intact. 

Bees,  like  some  animals  of  higher  order,  seem  to  enjoy  stolen  sweets  better 
than  any  other.  Taking  advantage  of  their  propensity  to  steal  and  despoil,  we 
placed  combs  containing  honey  in  an  unoccupied  hive,  and  permitted  the  bees  in 
the  apiary  to  steal  the  honey  and  such  portions  of  the  comb  as  they  could  appro- 
priate. We  then  suspended,  instead  of  the  despoiled  combs,  clusters  of  grapes 
dipped  in  honey.  The  bees  attacked  with  desperate  earnestness,  apparently 
determined  to  literally  go  through  those  grapes.  The  clusters  were  left  hanging 
for  a  day  or  two,  until  the  bees  had  entirely  deserted  the  hive,  and  examination 
showed  the  grapes  to  be  as  sound  as  when  placed  there,  and  the  skins  polished 
smooth  and  clean  as  before.  We  then  punctured  the  grapes  of  several  clusters, 
by  passing  a  darning-needle  through  the  fruit  from  side  to  side,  and  hung  them 
in  the  house  near  the  hungry  bees.  They  sucked  the  juice  from  the  broken  seg- 
ments as  far  as  they  could  insert  their  tongues  into  the  wound,  leaving  a  depres- 
sion near  the  puncture,  and  the  remainder  of  the  pulp  was  left  whole. 

The  instinct  of  bees  impels  them  to  remove  everything  useless  or  strange  from 
their  hives.  They  will  labor  harder  to  remove  any  object  which  is  useless  or 
offensive  than  for  any  other  purpose.  After  passing  a  darning-needle  through 
some  of  the  grapes  in  several  clusters  of  different  varieties,  we  suspended  those 
clusters  from  the  top  of  comb  frames  by  using  fine  wire,  and  placed  them  in  the 
center  of  strong  colonies  of  both  hybrids  and  Italians.  The  juice  was  extracted 
from  the  punctured  segments  as  before,  and  the  perfect  grapes  hung  undisturbed 
for  fifteen  days.  They  appeared  to  have  kept  better  hanging  in  the  hive  than 
they  would  have  kept  on  the  vines. 

The  evidence  then  shows  that  bees  do  not  injure  perfect  fruit.  We  have  ob- 
served that  they  give  no  attention  to  the  puncture  and  blight  caused  by  the 
ovipositing  of  other  insects  until  after  the  larvae  have  hatched  and  decay  has  set 
in,  and  then  only  in  cases  of  extremity.  The  circumstances  under  which  bees 
appear  to  be  able  to  injure  grapes  are  very  exceptional.  That  they  will  not  mo- 
lest or  even  visit  grapes  when  it  is  possible  to  obtain  forage  elsewhere  is  certain. 
It  also  appears  certain  that  they  never  attempt  violence  to  the  skin  of  grapes. 

The  capacity  of  bees  to  injure  overripe  grapes  is  limited  by  the  extent  to  which 
the  juice  and  pulp  are  exposed  by  the  bursting  of  the  film.  If  the  film  is  only 
slightly  burst,  the  bees  can  do  but  little  injury.  If  the  progress  of  decay  has 
caused  a  wide  rupture  in  the  film,  the  bees  more  readily  appropriate  the  juice. 
If  overripeness  and  decay  have  exposed  the  pulp  of  grapes  to  such  an  extent  that 
bees  can  damage  them  seriously,  the  bees  should  be  confined  to  the  hive  (unless 
the  weather  is  excessively  hot),  and  the  grapes  should  be  at  once  gathered,  for, 
from  this  stage,  the  progress  of  decay  is  rapid.  Confinement  to  the  hive  for  a 
short  time,  while  the  overripe  grapes  are  being  gathered,  would  result  in  no  loss, 
and  the  bees  would  be  prevented  from  gathering  the  juice  and  storing  it  in  the 
hive.  Bees  confined  to  their  hives  in  warm  weather  must  always  have  ample  top 


120  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

ventilation,  and  should  be  liberated  and  allowed  to  fly  half  an  hour  before  sunset 
each  day  during  the  term  of  their  confinement.  The  excessive  use  of  grape-juice 
often  produces  inebriety.  In  the  case  of  bees  it  produces  diarrhea.  After  grapes 
have  arrived  at  the  stage  of  overripeness  and  decay  in  which  it  is  possible  for  bees 
to  injure  them,  and  the  circumstances  are  so  exceptional  as  to  cause  the  bees  to 
seek  such  food,  it  would  be  advantageous  to  the  grape  grower  to  secure  his  grapes 
from  the  ravages  of  decay,  and  advantageous  to  the  bee-keeper  to  secure  his  bees 
from  the  ravages  of  disease. 


PROFITABLE  GRAPES. 

A  paper  by  HENRY  WALLIS,  Wellston,  Mo.,  read  at  the  West  Plains  meeting  of  the 
Missouri  Horticultural  Society. 

The  task  assigned  to  me  is  greater  than  I  am  able  to  do  perfect  justice ;  there- 
fore, I  kindly  ask  for  a  little  forbearance;  and  if  only  a  few  members  of  our 
society  should  gain  profit  from  my  personal  experience  expressed  herein,  my 
effort  will  be  tenfold  rewarded.  Well  knowing  one  man's  owl  is  another  man's 
nightingale,  and  vice  versa,  so  the  same  grape  may  be  a  bonanza  for  one  fruit- 
grower and  a  total  failure  with  another,  as  the  final  result  of  a  combination  of 
conditions  often  uncontrollable.  It  is  more  or  less  a  difficult  problem,  to  be 
solved  by  every  fruit-grower  for  himself,  which  varieties,  if  properly  cared  for, 
adapted  to  his  soil,  and  sold  fresh  from  the  vineyard  or  made  into  wine,  will  give 
the  best  cash  reward  in  near-by  or  distant  markets. 

One  thing  I  know  surely :  all  grapes  shipped  to  a  distant  market,  no  matter 
how  poor  and  miserable  they  may  be,  are  a  source  of  great  profit  to  the  railroad 
company  and  the  commission  man,  and  only  the  skimmed,  blue  milk  is  left  for 
the  fruit-grower,  provided  it  is  not  spilled  entirely  by  some  pig. 

Last  year  a  St.  Louis  commission  firm  shipped  450  nine-pound  baskets  of  the 
finest  Hicks  grape  for  me  to  Milwaukee,  Wig.  They  realized  twelve  cents  per 
basket  in  Milwaukee,  but  gave  me  only  fifteen  dollars  for  the  entire  lot;  equal 
to  me,  net,  only  three  cents  per  basket,  or  one-third  cent  for  each  pound  of  the 
finest  black  grapes.  So  fully  three-fourths  of  the  money  received  by  them  was 
absorbed  by  the  railroad  company  and  the  commission  man.  One  of  my  friends 
received  not  one  cent  for  100  baskets  of  Concord  grapes  shipped  by  the  same 
firm.  The  same  rule  applies  to  the  Ohio  and  New  York  grape  growers.  Their 
grapes  were  sold  last  year  in  St.  Louis,  at  retail,  at  ten  cents  per  basket;  deduct- 
ing freight,  commission,  and  retailer's  profit,  I  ask :  Did  the  fruit-grower  receive 
one-half  cent  net  for  each  pound  of  fine  grapes,  or  even  less?  (Commentar 
ueberfluessig!)  By  the  way,  I  agree  with  Mr.  Bomberger:  "There  is  no  earthly 
excuse  for  us  in  Missouri  buying  our  grapes  from  Ohio  or  New  York,"  and  I  add, 
not  even  from  California. 

Now,  what  varieties  are  especially  profitable  ?  Last  year  even  the  poor  Hart- 
ford and  Ives  were  profitable  for  me;  each  plant  had  twenty  to  twenty-five 
pounds  of  grapes,  and  I  netted  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  cents  from  every  twenty- 
pound  basket.  My  neighbor  sold  his  poor  Champion  for  three  to  four  cents  per 
pound  before  my  Moore's  Early  could  be  had.  Moore's  Early  is  profitable  on  ac- 
count of  its  quality  as  well  as  earliness,  even  if  a  poor  grower,  producing  only  mod- 
erate crops.  The  Worden  will  be  found  profitable  for  the  same  reason,  though  it 
produces  more  fruit.  Norton,  Cynthiana,  Missouri  Reisling  and  a  few  others 
will  be  profitable  for  wine,  considering  their  quality.  The  finest  table  grapes  for 
many  years  to  come  will  be  the  least  profitable  to  the  producers,  until  we  are 


THE    GRAPE    IJS    KANSAS.  121 

able  to  educate  the  masses  in  the  large  cities  to  make  the'  proper  distinction  be- 
tween fruit  and  fruit  in  regard  to  appearance  and  quality.  It  has  been  amusing 
to  me  to  speak  about  grapes  with  fairly  and  well-educated  people  in  the  city,  and 
finding  that  most  of  them  know  the  Concord  by  name,  any  black  grape  being 
the  Concord  to  them.  Further,  they  know  that  there  is  a  white  grape  and  a  red 
grape,  making  a  total  of  three  varieties  of  grapes.  My  friends,  I  am  hot  joking 
or  even  ridiculing  these  people.  These  are  generally  the  folks  who  buy  a  fourth 
variety  of  grapes,  the  Calif ornian,  which  has  all  colors,  is  large  and  showy,  costs 
more  than  our  Missouri  grapes,  and  sometimes  tastes  nearly  as  well,  but  curtails 
the  profits  of  the  Missouri  grape  grower. 

It  is  useless  to  say  that  the  Concord  is,  or  has  been,  a  profitable  grape,  also 
some  seedlings  of  it,  like  Worden,  Eaton,  Pocklington,  etc.;  in  fact,  a  black 
grape  is  more  profitable  as  a  market  grape  than  a  white  or  red  variety,  though 
Missouri  Reisling,  Elvira  and  Niagara  have  been  profitable  to  me.  Rogers's  No.  1, 
or  Goethe,  has  given  me  the  highest  price  in  St.  Louis  markets;  nearly  double 
the  price  of  the  Concord,  while  the  quantity  per  plant  was  about  equal. 

My  new  St.  Louis  grape  has  brought  fair  returns  —  a  seedling  of  the  Concord, 
tested  twenty  years;  is  less  foxy,  has  better  color,  dark  black,  more  vigorous  and 
productive,  bunches  more  compact,  making  an  excellent  wine ;  standing  in  quality 
half  way  between  Concord  and  Virginia  Seedling. 

When  I  finally  consider  my  new  Hicks  grape,  a  seedling  of  decided  foreign 
and  native  origin  combined,  as  the  best  and  most  profitable  grape  of  the  day  for 
me,  after  ten  years  of  severe  trial  and  testing,  I  seem  to  be  too  egotistic,  but  it 
is  one  of  the  great  trio:  Campbell,  McPike,  and  Hicks.  Time  and  trials  will 
verify  my  statement,  that  I  consider  it  to  be  the  great  new  Concord  of  the 
twentieth  century,  which  place  the  Hicks  will  conquer  on  its  own  merits  alone. 
In  health  and  growth,  it  is  outgrowing  the  best;  in  productiveness,  it  excels  the 
most  productive  (in  1897  one  vine,  three  years  old,  second  crop,  had  about  100 
bunches,  weighing  a  little  over  thirty-two  pounds) ;  in  quality,  equal  or  superior 
to  the  finest  of  our  native  black  grapes ;  a  wonderful  combination  of  a  profitable 
table,  market  and  wine  grape.  The  quality  of  the  wine  has  the  nearest  approach 
to  the  finest  German  or  French  red  wine,  more  than  any  other  wine  I  ever  tasted. 

Now,  as  I  do  not  expect  you  to  believe  such  a  high  statement  about  the  Hicks 
grape,  I  will  be  more  liberal  than  the  introducers  of  new  fruits  in  general ;  so,  to 
convince  all  doubting  Thomases  of  the  truth  of  my  claims  for  my  Hicks  grape, 
I  will  give  free,  to  every  member  of  the  State  Horticultural  Society  of  Missouri, 
one  Hicks  grape- vine  as  a  present,  for  fair  trial  and  honest  report,  under  condi- 
tion not  to  propagate  for  selling  plants  therefrom,  and  sending  to  me  correct  ad- 
dress, with  ten  cents  in  stamps  or  silver  to  pay  for  postage  and  the  trouble  of 
packing,  which  offer  holds  good  only  until  December  1, 1899.  New  York  has  the 
profitable  Campbell  grape ;  Iowa  and  Illinois,  the  beautiful  McPike  grape.  That 
old,  grand  Missouri  may  own  and  profit  by  the  grand  Hicks  grape  is  the  sincerest 
wish  of  the  propagator  and  sole  proprietor. 


122  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


HIGH-PRICED  GRAPES. 

Grapes  that  sell  for  $1.50  to  $3  a  pound  suggest  an  Aladdin-like  vision  to  those 
grape-belt  growers  who  reckoned  their  net  returns  at  but  a  few  cents  a  basket. 
These  aristocratic  fruits,  however,  are  greenhouse  grapes  of  select  European  va- 
rieties. They  are  sold  only  to  wealthy  buyers,  the  Rural  New  Yorker  says, 
and  though  the  malrket  is  limited,  it  is  not  by  any  means  overstocked,  since  we 
import  a  quantity  from  England  every  season. 

Most  of  these  grapes  are  planted  out  in  permanent  beds,  in  grape  houses, 
usually  so  built  that  the  roots  may  ramble  into  an  outside  border.  Well  trained 
and  cared  for,  such  vines  grow  to  a  great  size  and  produce  enormous  crops.  We 
saw  recently,  however,  pot-grown  vines  which  were  giving  fine  results.  The  va- 
rieties were  Bowood  Muscat,  a  white  grape,  and  Black  Hamburg,  which  is  gen- 
erally regarded  as  the  most  reliable  black  grape  under  glass.  These  pot  vines, 
which  were  grown  by  H.  H.  Stevens,  of  Essex  county,  N.  J.,  were  only  one  year 
old,  and  were  fruited  in  sixteen-inch  pots.  The  fruit  began  to  be  cut  about  the 
middle  of  April,  and  the  weight  of  grapes  averaged  twelve  pounds  to  the  pot. 

The  pots  in  which  the  vines  were  grown  were  plunged  nearly  to  the  rim  in 
earth  upon  greenhouse  benches,  and  the  vines  trained  up  near  the  glass.  The 
soil  is  well-rotted  soil  broken  up  with  cow  manure;  sometimes  a  little  charcoal 
and  lime  rubbish  are  added.  The  vines  in  question  were  brought  from  a  cellar, 
where  they  had  been  kept  in  a  dormant  condition,  in  the  beginning  of  December, 
and  started  with  a  temperature  of  forty  degrees.  As  the  buds  swell,  the  tem- 
perature is  increased  to  forty-five  and  fifty  degrees  ;  then,  when  buds  are  fully 
opened,  the  heat  is  increased  to  a  steady  temperature  of  sixty-five  degrees,  rising 
fifteen  or  twenty  degrees  higher  on  sunny  days.  The  pot  culture  gives  an  early 
crop,  which  reaches  the  markets  when  the  late  crop  is  over.  The  bunches  are 
often  thinned,  especially  in  the  case  of  certain  varieties,  that  the  bunch  may  be 
well-shaped.  Great  care  is  needed,  while  the  fruit  swells  and  colors,  to  avoid 
blemishes,  which  will  diminish  its  value,  and  as  each  variety  has  peculiarities  of 
its  own,  which  must  be  studied  individually,  experience  is  required  to  grow  first- 
class  fruit  successfully. 


PRESERVATION  OF  FRESH  GRAPES. 

A  recent  bulletin  of  the  school  of  agriculture  of  Scandicci,  Italy,  describes 
experiments  made  by  Professor  Marchi  for  the  keeping  of  grapes  fresh  during  the 
winter.  A  certain  quantity  of  grapes,  comprising  different  qualities,  was  hung 
up  in  a  cool  and  dry  place,  all  damaged  berries  having  been  previously  removed, 
and  a  second  lot  was  packed  in  dry,  pulverized  peat,  in  wooden  boxes.  At  the 
end  of  four  months  the  grapes  that  had  been  hung  up  were  decayed  and  had 
dropped  off;  on  the  other  hand,  those  that  were  packed  in  the  boxes  were  found 
to  be  in  an  excellent  condition.  Another  method  consists  in  gathering  the 
bunches  with  some  of  the  stem  attached,  and  immersing  their  tips  in  bottles 
containing  pulverized  charcoal.  Experiments  were  also  made  for  preserving  seed 
potatoes  by  using  corn  shucks,  sawdust,  peat,  and  very  dry  sand.  The  three 
first  named  gave  the  best  results,  while  the  sand  proved  a  failure. — Practical 
Fruit  Grower. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  123 


GRAPES  IN  COLD  STORAGE. 

Perhaps  these  ought  to  be  divided,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  cold-storage 
man,  into  two  classes  —  that  class  represented  by  the  Concord,  and  that  repre- 
sented by  the  Malagas,  the  latter  being  less  juicy  than  the  former,  and  a  firmer 
meat.  The  Concord  comes  to  this  market  anywhere  from  September  1  to  Octo- 
ber 31 ;  probably  the  heaviest  shipments  reach  us  in  the  latter  part  of  September ; 
it  all  depends  on  the  season.  For  cold  storage  they  should  be  well  selected  and 
very  carefully  packed.  You  cannot  pick  them  as  you  do  for  immediate  use. 
There  must  not  be  any  crushed  or  bruised  grapes,  nor  must  there  be  any  decayed 
ones;  for  if  there  are  there  is  bound  to  be  trouble  from  decay.  If  one  basket  of 
grapes  gets  to  rotting  it  is  liable  to  taint  the  whole  lot,  not  so  much  in  taste  as  in 
smell. 

Malagas  are  a  trifle  later  in  getting  to  this  market  than  others,  but  they  con- 
tinue to  come  until  very  cold  weather.  They,  too,  must  be  packed  very  carefully, 
but  not  so  much  so  as  the  Concords;  for  they  are  firmer,  and  will  stand  more 
pressing.  But  they  must  not  be  crushed  or  broken. 

Concords  cannot  be  kept  very  long  in  cold  storage.  Thanksgiving  day  seems 
to  be  a  generally  accepted  limit;  and  a  great  many  of  them,  particularly  the  more 
juicy  ones,  will  not  keep  that  long. 

Malagas  will  usually  keep  longer  and  are  usually  finally  disposed  of  during 
holiday  time,  but  I  am  reliably  informed  they  can  be  kept  longer  in  some  in- 
stances. 

All  grapes  lose  a  great  deal  of  their  fine  flavor  in  cold  store,  and  acquire  a 
flatness  that  is  rather  disappointing.  Malagas  hold  their  flavor  rather  the  best. 

The  temperature  at  which  grapes  should  be  held  seems  to  be  a  matter  of 
opinion  only,  and  ranges  from  thirty-two  degrees  to  forty  degrees.  My  observa- 
tion is  that  the  forty-degree  grape  comes  out  of  storage  with  a  nicer  flavor  than 
the  thirty- two  degree;  this  is  more  pronounced  in  the  Concord  than  in  the 
Malaga.  The  lower-named  temperature  seems  to  have  less  effect  on  the  Malaga 
than  on  the  Concord,  which,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  is  due  to  the  juiciness  of 
the  latter,  although  the  chemical  ingredients  of  the  juice  may  be  the  cause.  We 
have  not  much  reliable  data  on  the  subject  of  grape  storage.  The  cold-storage 
man  does  not  consider  it  good  storage,  and  will  not  take  them  if  he  can  get  out 
of  it,  and  then  will  only  guarantee  temperature.  For  this  reason  the  subject  has 
not  been  given  the  scientific  attention  it  needs.  But  now,  as  the  cold- storage 
business  is  spreading  and  competition  for  business  gets  more  closely  drawn,  all 
kinds  of  goods  are  being  more  carefully  noted,  and  grapes  will  undoubtedly  re- 
ceive more  attention. — Ice  and  Refrigerator. 


GRAPE  JUICE. 

Ferment  is  decay,  decomposition,  rot.  Alcohol  is  only  produced  by  decay, 
decomposition,  rot.  Hence  fruits,  in  fermenting,  produce  alcohol.  As  the  hu- 
man stomach  was  never  intended  to  receive  carrion,  swill,  rotten,  decayed  or  fer- 
mented products  only  on  risk  of  sickness,  contamination,  death,  therefore  the 
human  stomach  was  not  intended  to  receive  alcohol,  excepting  under  similar 
risks.  The  housekeeper,  under  a  modern  discovery,  heats  carefully  selected  and 
prepared  fruit  to  the  boiling-point,  and,  sealing  it  in  air-tight  cans,  prevents  fer- 
ment, decay,  decomposition,  rot,  alcohol.  If,  by  chance,  a  can  or  two  is  not  well 


124  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

sealed,  the  housekeeper  discovers  it  by  the  ferment,  and  she  immediately  heats- 
the  product  to  stop  decomposition.  If  not  discovered  soon  enough  the  fruit  i» 
soured,  spoiled,  decomposed,  smells  of  alcohol,  and  khas  developed  alcohol,  and 
no  housekeeper  would  set  it  on  her  table  or  feed  it  to  the  vilest  tramp,  unless  to 
do  him  injury.  The  juice  of  ripe  grapes,  pressed  out  and  heated,  or  heated  and 
then  pressed  out,  if  sealed  up  while  at  the  boiling-point,  will  keep  in  a  cool  place 
without  developing  ferment,  decay,  decomposition,  rot,  or  alcohol,  and  is  a  valu- 
able food  product.  If  a  can  leaks  air  and  ferments,  developing  decay  or  alcohol, 
it  is  no  more  fit  for  food  than  the  decomposed  fruit  referred  to  above,  and  no 
housekeeper  would  set  it  before  a  family  or  friend,  excepting  to  injure  them.  The 
stomach  and  the  brain  are  partners;  abuse  the  stomach  and  you  affect  the 
brain;  a  child  eats  too  much  sweets,  nausea  is  produced,  the  brain  reels,  and 
only  relief  of  the  stomach  will  clear  the  brain.  The  glutton  eats  to  distention, 
his  brain  becomes  stupid,  and  he  sleeps  in  his  chair,  with  his  napkin  still  before 
him  and  his  fingers  greasy.  A  little  taint  in  food,  even  the  sight  or  smell  of  a 
disagreeable  or  disgusting  thing,  will  often  set  the  brain  whirling  and  "turn  the 
stomach."  I  myself  once  fainted  dead  away  simply  studying  the  pitiful  pictures 
of  deformity  displayed  in  a  free  pocket  memorandum-book  sent  out  by  a  medi- 
cine firm. 

Now,  why  should  man  desire  to  abuse  the  wonderful  mechanism  of  his  body  T 
It  will  at  best  cease  some  day;  the  last  heart-throb  will  come  at  a  future  hour, 
we  know  not  when ;  why  shorten  it  by  abusing  those  wonderful  and  devoted  serv- 
ants, stomach  and  brain,  by  introducing  rot,  decay,  ferment,  alcohol?  If  fer- 
mented canned  or  uncanned  goods  are  not  fit  for  food,  how  can  the  fermented 
juice  from  fruit,  or  grain,  or  leaf,  or  herb,  be  fit  to  put  into  the  stomach,  to  the 
great  detriment  and  risk  of  both  it  and  the  brain  ?  The  freshly  expressed  juice 
of  the  grape  is  a  proper,  useful,  nutritious,  healthful  and  delightful  food  or 
drink.  But  it  cannot  be  held  without  ferment,  decay,  decomposition,  rot  or  al- 
coholic development  unless  it  be  heated  to  the  boiling-point  and  at  once  her- 
metically sealed.  Then  it  is  better  than  canned  grapes,  for  it  is  free  from  th& 
objectionable  seeds  and  skins.  It  is  easily  prepared ;  responsible  writers  named 
in  this  work  testify  to  that,  and  I  can  add  my  own  testimony,  both  as  to  ease  of 
putting  up  and  pleasure  of  using.  I  have  declared  my  belief  that  in  time  it  would 
be  sold  on  the  streets,  fresh,  sweet,  non-alcoholic,  like  milk,  and  as  cheaply. 
Some  may  fear  that  "topers"  would  buy  it  and  let  it  ferment.  This  is  possible,, 
but  should  not  prevent  its  honest  use. 

I  would  advise  those  who  have  grapes  when  the  price  is  low  to  gather  when> 
fully  ripe;  snip  off  with  scissors  all  defective  berries;  wash  the  bunches;  some 
strip  from  stems ;  then  press  through  a  cider  or  jelly  press ;  strain  and  heat  the- 
juice  thoroughly,  but  do  not  let  it  boil  much;  skim,  and  strain,  if  necessary; 
pour  at  once  into  cans,  bottles,  or  well-glazed  jugs,  taking  all  the  care  and  pre- 
cautions used  in  canning,  and  seal  up  perfectly  at  once. 

Some  prefer  to  heat  all  before  pressing.  This  is  all  right,  but  requires  larger 
vessels,  and  the  hot  grapes  are  more  trouble  to  handle  in  pressing,  and  the  juica 
must  be  again  heated,  or  it  will  not  go  into  the  cans  at  a  high  enough  tempera- 
ture. Some  add  sugar ;  this  is  unnecessary  until  the  time  of  use. 

After  the  cans  have  cooled,  examine,  and,  if  tight,  put  away  in  cellar  or  cool 
place  ;  better  if  dark,  also.  Under*  no  circumstances  use  grapes  that  are  soured 
or  decaying;  neither  let  the  work  delay  after  beginning.  Do  not  crush  and  let 
stand  over  night  even,  and  do  not  put  into  kegs  or  wooden  vessels  to  keep.  Use 
granite,  porcelain  lined,  or  stoneware  in  heating.  Do  not  heat  in  copper,  tin,, 
brass,  or  iron,  especially  galvanized  iron.  Be  particular,  be  nice,  in  the  whole 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  125 

operation,  if  you  want  success.  And  do  not  let  any  one  persuade  you  for  the 
smallest  fraction  of  a  minute  that  ferment,  decomposition  and  rot  will  improve 
it.  Use  it  fresh  from  the  cellar  or  ice-box, .clear  or  diluted,  sweetened  or  not,  at 
meals  or  between.  It  can  also  be  made  into  jelly,  or  cooked  with  apples  or  other 
fruit. 

These  correspondents  put  up  unfermented  grape  juice  for  family  use: 

Allison,  T.  W.,  Florence,  Marion  county. 

Anderson,  Jas.,  Leonardville,  Riley  county. 

Baird,  Wm.,  Vesper,  Lincoln  county. 

Baum,  G.  M.,  Washington,  Washington  county. 

Barnes,  J.  T.,  Beloit,  Mitchell  county. 

Chase,  R.  C.,  Hiawatha,  Brown  county. 

Cook,  C.  C.,  Bradford,  Wabaunsee  county. 

Dickey,  C.  E.,  Irving,  Marshall  county. 

Diehl,  E.  P.,  Olathe,  Johnson  county. 

Gardiner,  C.  C.,  Bradford,  Wabaunsee  county. 

Griesa,  A.  C.,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county. 

Griesa,  A.  H.,  Lawrence,  Douglas  county. 

Griffing,  W.  J.,  Manhattan,  Riley  county. 

Guest,  Thos.  H.,  Grafton,  Chautauqua  county. 

Holsinger,  F.,  Rosedale,  Wyandotte  county. 

Jurgens,  Frank,  Scott,  Scott  county. 

Keller,  Johnson,  Arkansas  City,  Cowley  county. 

Kimble,  Sam'l,  Manhattan,  Riley  county. 

Montgomery,  Bert.,  Troy,  Doniphan  county. 

Oberndorf,  A.,  jr.,  Centralia,  Nemaha  county. 

Pimm,  John,  Enon,  Barber  county. 

Ross,  J.  C.,  Havana,  Montgomery  county. 

Spohr,  G.  E.,  Manhattan,  Riley  county. 

Stayman,  Dr.  J.,  Leavenworth,  Leavenworth  county. 

Taylor,  C.  H.,  Eskridge,  Wabaunsee  county. 

Tucker,  W.  H.,  Effingham,  Atchison  county. 

Walters,  W.,  Emporia,  Lyon  county. 

White,  D.  D.,  Enon,  Barber  county. 


GRAPES  AS  MEDICINE. 

Doctor  Dupoury,  a  French  physician,  celebrated  for  his  scientific  investiga- 
tions in  dietary  matters,  in  an  article  printed  in  a  Paris  journal,  considers  the 
hygienic  value  of  fruits.  He  divides  fruits  into  five  classes,  each  of  which  pos- 
sesses a  special  hygienic  value  — the  acid,  the  sweet,  the  astringent,  the  oily,  and 
the  mealy.  To  the  first,  including  cherries,  strawberries,  raspberries,  goose- 
berries, apples,  peaches,  lemons,  and  oranges,  he  accords  great  merit.  Cherries, 
however,  he  prohibits  entirely  to  those  affected  with  neuralgia  of  the  stomach. 
Strawberries  and  raspberries  he  recommends  warmly  to  those  of  bilious,  plethoric 
and  gouty  temperament,  and  denies  them  to  those  on  whom  diabetes  is  present 
or  suspected.  Of  the  sweet  fruits,  he  considers  that  plums  are  of  special  hygienic 
value,  and  even  a  preventive  in  gout  and,  particularly,  rheumatism.  To  the 
grape  he  accords  the  very  first  place.  He  is  an  ardent  advocate  of  what  in  Eu- 
rope is  called  the  grape  cure.  In  this  cure  grapes  for  several  days  form  the  ex- 
clusive aliment.  The  patient  commences  with  the  consumption  of  from  one  to 


126  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

two  pounds  daily,  with  a  gradual  increase  to  eight  or  ten  pounds.  After  a  few 
days  of  this  diet  a  marked  improvement  in  the  general  health  is  noticeable.  The 
appetite  improves,  the  digestion  becomes  easy  and  rapid,  and  increased  capacity 
to  withstand  the  fatigue  of  outdoor  exercise  is  noticeable.  The  grape  cure  is 
particularly  recommended  to  the  anemic,  dyspeptic,  and  consumptive,  in  diseases 
of  the  liver,  and  in  gout. — California  Fruit- groiver. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  127 


DISEASES  AND  INSECTS  AFFECTING  GRAPES. 


Unhealthy  parentage  from  which  cuttings  were  taken  and  very  poor  or  over- 
rich  soil  help  to  develop  disease.  Overbearing  also  causes  debility  and  a 
diseased  condition.  Heavy,  wet  soil  or  stagnant  moisture  is  also  a  source  of  dis- 
ease. Too  much  washing-suds  to  vines  on  city  lots  often  causes  harm. 

Almost  the  only  disease  causing  any  uneasiness  in  our  state  is  black  rot, 
which  can  be  largely  controlled  by  bagging  and  spraying. 

Insects  are  not  bad;  at  no  time  in  any  part  of  our  state  have  they  caused 
alarm;  a  few  flea  beetles,  a  few  aphides,  a  little  scale  —  nothing  serious. 

Grasshoppers,  in  some  parts  of  the  state,  cut  the  stems  and  cause  the  fruit  to 
fall.  Wasps,  English  sparrows,  orioles  and  perhaps  some  other  insects  and  birds 
perforate  the  berries,  thus  attracting  bees,  and  causing  them  to  be  wrongfully 
accused. 

Birds  are  readily  scared  away  by  tying  a  hawk-kite  to  a  string  six  to  ten  feet 
long,  at  the  end  of  a  pole,  and  fastening  the  pole  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees 
(this  keeps  the  string  from  winding  about  it)  to  something  upright — a  tree  or 
post.  Several  of  these  kites,  which  are  cheap,  will  keep  birds  from  any  crop  of 
grapes,  berries,  cherries,  etc.  They  will  also  keep  poultry  off  the  garden  or  away 
from  any  spot  where  their  presence  is  annoying. 


ANTHRACNOSE. 

The  anthracnose,  or  scab  (Sphaceloma  ampelinum},  is  a  very  serious  fun- 
gous disease.  It  is  most  apparent  on  the  fruit,  where  it  makes  a  hard,  scabby 
patch.  Its  most  serious  work,  however,  occurs  on  the  stems  of  the  clusters,  and 
on  the  young  growth,  where  it  makes  sunken,  discolored  areas,  and  where  it  in- 
terferes seriously  with  the  growth  of  the  parts.  It  is  not  so  easily  controlled 
as  mildew  or  black  rot.  Careful  attention  to  pruning  away  all  the  diseased  wood 
and  burning  it  will  help  in  controlling  the  disease.  Before  growth  starts,  spray 
the  vines,  trellis  and  posts  with  strong  sulphate  of  copper  solution.  After  the 
leaves  open,  use  the  Bordeaux  mixture. — Bailey's  Cyclopedia  of  American 
Horticulture. 


POWDERY  MILDEW  OF  THE  GRAPE. 

This  mildew  flourishes  best  in  dry,  hot  weather,  and  prefers  the  hybrids  of  the 
European  wine  grape,  Vitis  vinifera.  It  attacks  the  foliage,  shoots,  and  fruit. 
The  leaves  become  yellowish,  changing  to  brown,  with  whitish  patches  of  the 
ruiting  threads  of  the  disease  on  the  surface,  usually  the  upper  surface.  The 
whitish  patches  turn  light-brown  later  in  the  season,  as  the  winter  spores  develop. 
On  the  fruit,  brownish  spots  appear,  which  may  run  together,  checking  the 
growth  of  that  part  and  causing  deformed  berries,  which  soon  decay. 

Remedy.  —  The  treatment  recommended  for  black  rot  of  the  grape  will  also 
apply  to  powdery  mildew. 


128  THE  GRAPE  IN  KANSAS. 


BLACK  ROT  OF  THE  GRAPE. 

The  circular,  bright  reddish-brown  spots  on  the  leaves  are  the  first  indication 
of  black  rot.  In  these  spots  black  pimples  soon  appear,  which  contain  the  spores 
of  the  disease.  As  the  spores  ripen  and  are  carried  by  wind  or  rain  to  the  other 
leaves  or  the  fruit,  they  start  new  points  of  attack.  On  the  fruit  the  disease 
first  appears  as  small  brown  spots,  which  enlarge,  causing  the  berry  to  assume  a 
rotten  appearance,  and  later  to  shrivel  up  and  turn  black.  As  the  berry  dries 
the  skin  becomes  arranged  in  folds  or  furrows,  covered  with  black  pimples ;  this 
is  characteristic  of  black  rot.  In  the  pimples  are  the  winter  spores,  which  start 
the  disease  anew  the  following  spring. 

Remedy. —  Burn  all  grape  trimmings  and  diseased  berries  and  rubbish  in  the 
vineyard.  Spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture  as  soon  as  the  leaves  appear,  and  again 
in  ten  days  or  two  weeks;  just  after  blossoming  give  a  third  spraying,  and  two 
weeks  later  the  fourth.  If  another  application  is  necessary,  it  may  be  given  two 
weeks  after  the  fourth. 


GRAPE-VINE  FLEA- BEETLE 

Is  found  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  on  wild  and  cultivated  grape- 
vines. Although  this  beetle  has  received  the  specific  name  of  chalybea^  mean- 
ing steel  blue,  it  is  exceedingly  variable  in  color.  "  The  most  common  tint  of  the 
upper  side  is  a  glossy,  deep,  greenish  blue,  the  under  side  is  a  dark  green,  and 
the  antennae  and  feet  are  dull  black.  The  body  is  oblong  oval,  and  the  hinder 
part  of  the  thorax  is  marked  with  a  transverse  furrow.  It  measures  rather  more 
than  three-twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length."  Two  broods  usually  appear  in  a 
season — the  first  in  April  or  May,  according  to  location,  and  the  second  in  July 
and  August.  I  have  not  heard  of  any  section  where  they  have  been  very  de- 
structive, but  they  will  probably  become  so  unless  some  precaution  is  taken 
against  their  further  advance.  Hand  picking  is  the  surest  mode  of  destroying 
them.  It  is  said,  however,  that  if  a  strong  solution  of  potash  ia  thrown  over  the 
vines  it  will  destroy  them.  They  seldom  bother  to  such  an  extent  but  that  they 
could  be  easily  gathered  by  hand,  or  shaken  from  the  vines  and  crushed  by  the 
foot. 


THE  FLEA-BEETLE  ON  GRAPES. 

The  flea-beetle,  or  steel  bug,  which  makes  such  ravages  in  the  vineyard,  is  a 
close  relative  to  the  black  and  striped  beetles  which  infest  turnips,  cabbage  and 
radishes  as  soon  as  they  begin  growth  in  spring.  It  is  a  very  small,  shiny  beetle, 
ranging  in  color  from  a  steel  blue  to  metallic  green  and  purple,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances; in  size  it  is  only  about  a  third  that  of  the  potato-bug.  It  appears 
early  in  the  spring,  just  when  the  buds  are  swelling,  and,  if  allowed  to  work  un- 
disturbed will  soon  destroy  the  buds  on  a  large  number  of  vines.  They  do  not 
always  kill  the  vines,  as  most  of  them  have  latent  buds  to  take  the  place  of  those 
destroyed,  but  with  the  latent  buds  no  fruit-buds  appear;  consequently  the  crop 
is  lost,  as  well  as  much  of  the  vitality  of  the  vines.  When  the  leaves  begin  to 
unfold  the  beetles  lay  their  eggs  on  the  under  side  of  them,  and  these  soon  hatch 
out  in  the  form  of  brown  grubs,  which  feed  on  the  grape  leaves;  when  full- 
grown  they  go  into  winter  quarters,  to  emerge  in  the  form  of  flea-beetles  the  fol- 
lowing spring.  Sometimes  a  great  number  of  the  bugs  appear,  and  then  for 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  1 29 

several  years  none  will  be  seen ;  this  makes  grape  growers  become  careless,  so 
that  sometimes  much  damage  is  done  before  it  is  discovered.  Paris  green  has 
proved  an  effective  remedy,  but  it  must  be  applied  several  times  during  the 
season ;  if  the  beetles  can  be  destroyed  before  the  eggs  are  laid  there  will  be  no 
further  trouble  during  that  season.  One-fourth  of  a  pound  of  Paris  green  in 
forty  gallons  of  water  is  strong  enough  for  the  purpose,  and  should  be  applied 
with  a  sprayer.  The  buds  must  be  kept  well  coated  with  the  poison. 

One  grower  recommends  a  little  thicker  mixture,  to  be  applied  to  the  vines 
with  a  paint  brush,  the  vines  being  first  tied  to  the  trellis,  to  make  the  work 
easier.  The  same  solution  will  kill  the  grubs  if  they  begin  to  work  on  the  vines. 


SPRAYING  GRAPES  A  GREAT  SUCCESS. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  state  that  for  the  past  eight  or  ten  years,  we  have  an- 
nually sprayed  our  vineyards — some  eight  acres  —  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture, 
namely,  six  pounds  bluestone,  four  or  five  pounds  best  fresh  lime,  to  fifty  gal- 
lons water,  using  a  double-action  force-pump  with  two  nozzles.  We  use  the  Ver- 
morel  and  Deming  nozzles,  somewhat  preferring  the  latter,  and  make  three 
(usually),  sometimes  four,  applications  each  season,  with  result  that  we  made  al- 
most perfect  crops  each  year,  whereas,  before  we  began  spraying,  we  lost  the 
greater  part  of  the  crop  by  black  rot. 

The  best  treatment,  probably,  is  to  spray  before  buds  push  in  spring  with 
simple  solution  of  bluestone  (sulphate  of  copper),  one  pound  to  thirty  gallons  of 
water,  being  sure  to  reach  every  point  on  the  vines,  the  trellis,  and  the  posts; 
then  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  made  as  above,  just  before  flowering  time.  This 
catches  the  first  crop  of  rot  spores  that  develop  in  round  brown  spots  on  the 
leaves;  then,  again,  ^vith  Bordeaux  mixture,  as  soon  as  young  grapes  are  as  large 
as  duck  shot,  which  in  ordinary  seasons  will  save  the  crop  here.  But  if  the 
weather  is  very  moist  and  sultry,  spray  again  in  nine  days— not  longer — after 
the  third  spraying,  and  the  work  is  done. 

Be  careful  never  to  spray  a  vine  when  in  blossom;  it  will  blast  the  fruit.  By 
the  time  the  fruit  will  be  ripe  the  mixture  will  all  be  washed  off  the  fruit ;  so 
nothing  remains  to  spoil  its  appearance  in  market.  Care  should  be  exer- 
cised to  see  that  the  spray  is  fine  (fog- like),  not  in  drops,  secured  by  having  pump 
in  perfect  order,  and  pumped  hard,  and  that  all  surfaces  of  leaves  and  fruit  be 
reached  by  the  spray,  and  that  the  mixture  be  fresh. 

This  treatment  vanishes  mildew,  anthracnose,  black  rot,  and  about  all  insects 
from  the  vineyard  that  prey  upon  the  foliage  and  fruit,  and  causes  the  vines  to 
grow  and  mature  wood  for  next  season  far  better  than  when  not  sprayed. 

It  is  patent  to  every  one  that  a  vineyard  of  equally  good  varieties  which  pro- 
duces perfect  crops  without  spraying  is  far  more  satisfactory  and  profitable  than 
one  which  must  be  sprayed  three  times  annually  all  its  life.  Many  of  the  best 
French  vineyards,  in  the  regions  of  France  where  the  black  rot  and  mildew  have 
obtained  a  foothold,  are  diligently  experimenting  in  hybridizing  resistent,  rot-  and 
mildew-proof  American  varieties  with  the  best  and  healthiest  vinifera  varieties, 
and  are  making  very  encouraging  headway,  as  is  reported  in  the  leading  viticul- 
tural  journals  of  that  country,  such  as  Revue  de  Viticulture,  published  in  Paris. 
—  T.  V.  Munson. 
-9 


130  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


ENEMIES  OF  THE  GRAPE. 

The  larvae  of  upward  of  fifty  moths  feed  on  the  foliage  of  the  grape.  Many  of 
these  are  rare,  yet  many  others  are  occasionally  destructive.  The  large  green  or 
brownish,  usually  horned,  sphingid  larvae  and  certain  cutworms  are  oftenest  the 
cause  of  important  damage.  The  larvae  of  some  ten  species  of  hawk-moths  or 
ephingids  occur  in  the  grape,  and  nearly  all  are  widely  distributed.  The  one 
most  frequently  met  with  is  the  achemon  sphink  (Philampelus  achemon). 
The  sphinx  larvae  strip  a  branch  at  a  time  completely,  and  are  therefore  easily 
noted.  They  are  not  often  very  abundant,  and  the  injury  is  not  usually  great, 
except  in  the  case  of  young  vines  which  may  be  entirely  stripped  and  killed  by  a 
single  larva.  Hand  picking  is  ordinarily  the  safest  and  most  satisfactory  remedy. 

Climbing  cutworms  have  at  times  proved  very  destructive  to  the  buds  and 
foliage  of  vines,  and  in  northern  New  York  and  in  the  raisin  district  of  Fresno, 
Cal.,  as  much  damage  has  been  done  by  them  as  by  any  other  insect  enemy.  Of 
the  several  species  which  in  different  localities  have  been  troublesome,  the  worst 
record  may  be  assigned  to  the  dark-sided  cutworm  (A gratis  messoria)  and  the 
variegated  cutworm  (A.  saucia). 

Cutworms  remain  concealed  in  the  ground  during  the  day  and  climb  up  and 
strip  the  vines  at  night.  They  may  easily  be  destroyed  by  the  use  of  a  poisoned 
bait  of  bran,  arsenic  (or  Paris  green),  and  water,  preferably  sweetened  with  a  lit- 
tle sugar.  It  should  be  distributed  about  the  base  of  each  vine  in  the  form  of  a 
mash,  a  handful  or  so  in  a  place,  according  to  C.  L.  Marlatt,  of  the  United  States 
department  of  agriculture,  from  whose  report  on  insect  enemies  of  the  grape  the 
foregoing  is  learned. 


THE  APHIS. 

The  aphis,  or  green  fly,  often  called  plant- louse,  is  a  very  small  insect.  The 
rapidity  with  which  they  multiply  is  truly  astonishing,  as  in  a  few  hours  after 
they  make  their  appearance  upon  a  plant  it  will  often  become  entirely  covered 
with  them.  They  usually  attack  only  the  ends  of  the  young  shoots  and  more 
tender  leaves,  feeding  upon  the  juices  of  the  plant,  which  they  take  from  it  in 
such  quantities  as  to  cause  those  parts  which  they  infest  to  soon  wither  and  die. 
Moist,  warm  weather  seems  to  suit  them  better  than  any  other.  They  frequently 
attack  young  vines  in  the  nursery,  and  often  entirely  destroy  the  terminal  shoot 
as  well  as  the  young  laterals,  thus  severely  checking  the  growth  of  the  vine. 
Vines  grown  under  glass  are  more  subject  to  the  attacks  of  the  aphis  than  others, 
but  here  they  are  readily  destroyed.  But  when  they  attack  plants  in  the  open  air, 
it  is  quite  another  thing.  The  only  effectual  method  that  I  have  found  is  to  go 
over  the  young  vines  and,  holding  the  infested  shoot  in  one  hand,  with  a  good, 
stiff  brush,  clean  off  the  aphides.  A  few  upward  strokes  will  usually  kill  every  one, 
without  materially  injuring  the  young  shoot.  A  good  leather  glove  will  be  needed, 
to  protect  the  hand  that  holds  the  shoot.  The  generic  name  of  this  insect  is 
Aphis;  the  specific  name  is  usually  taken  from  the  name  of  the  plant  upon 
which  it  is  found ;  thus,  when  found  on  the  vine,  it  is  called  Aphis  vitas  /  when 
on  the  apple,  Aphis  mali,  from  mahts,  the  specific  botanical  name  of  the  apple. 

The  larvae  of  a  small,  spotted  insect  called  the  ladybird  feeds  upon  the 
aphides,  devouring  vast  numbers  of  them.  The  ladybird  is  the  gardener's  friend, 
and  should  never  be  killed  if  it  can  be  avoided.  These  little  beetles  are  usually 
red  or  orange  yellow,  with  small  black  spots;  some  kinds  have  only  three  spots; 
others  have  as  many  as  nine.  They  are  very  common,  and  many  has  been  the 
crime  that  has  been  laid  to  them  of  which  they  were  entirely  innocent. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  131 


A  TROUBLESOME   INSECT  — THE  ROSE-BUG. 

With  the  blooming  of  the  grape,  an  awkward,  long-legged,  light-brown  beetle , 
about  one-third  of  an  inch  in  length,  frequently  appears  in  enormous  swarms,  at 
first  devouring  the  blossoms,  then  the  leaves,  reducing  them  frequently  to  mere 
skeletons,  and  later  attacking  the  young  fruit.  By  the  end  of  July  these  unwel- 
come visitors  disappear  as  suddenly  as  they  come. 

Though  now  distinctively  a  grape  pest,  it  was  first  known  as  an  enemy  of  the 
rose,  whence  its  name,  "rose-bug,"  or  rose-chafer.  It  attacks  also  the  blossoms 
of  all  other  fruit-trees  and  of  many  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs,  and,  in  fact,  in 
periods  of  great  abundance  stops  at  nothing  — garden  vegetables,  grasses,  cereals, 
or  any  green  thing.  At  such  times  plants  appear  a  living  mass  of  sprawling  beet- 
les, clustering  on  every  leaf,  blossom,  or  fruit. 

From  a  bulletin  by  C.  L.  Marlatt,  of  the  department  of  agriculture,  it  is 
learned  that  the  beetle  thus  described  occurs  from  Canada  southward  to  Vir- 
ginia and  Tennessee  and  westward  to  Colorado,  but  is  particularly  destructive  in 
the  eastern  and  central  portions  of  its  range,  notably  in  New  Jersey,  Delaware,, 
and  to  a  less  extent  in  New  England  and  the  Central  states. 

As  remedies,  the  arsenicals  are  available  only  when  the  beetles  are  not  very 
numerous.  Otherwise,  their  ranks  are  constantly  recruited  by  newcomers,  and, 
under  these  circumstances,  all  insecticides,  however  effective  ordinarily,  are  un- 
available. When  this  is  the  case,  the  only  hope  is  in  collecting  the  beetles,  or  in 
covering  and  protecting  plants  with  netting,  or,  later,  in  bagging  grapes.  Ad- 
vantage may  be  taken  of  their  great  fondness  for  the  bloom  of  spirea,  and  rows 
of  these  flowering  shrubs  may  be  planted  about  the  vineyard  to  lure  them  and 
facilitate  their  collection. 

They  may  be  gathered  from  these  trap  plants,  or  the  grapes  themselves,  in  large 
hand  beating  nets,  or  by  jarring  into  large  funnel-shaped  collectors,  on  the  plan 
of  an  inverted  umbrella.  The  latter  apparatus  should  have  a  vessel  containing 
kerosene  and  water  at  the  bottom,  to  wet  and  kill  the  beetles. 


THE  ROSE-CHAFER. 

This  beetle  measures  seven-twentieths  of  an  inch  in  length.  Its  body  is  slen- 
der, tapers  before  and  behind,  and  is  entirely  covered  with  very  short  and  close 
ashen-yellow  down;  the  thorax  is  long  and  narrow,  angularly  widened  in  the 
middle  of  each  side,  which  suggested  the  name  subspinosa,  or  somewhat  spined  ; 
the  legs  are  slender,  and  of  a  pale  red  color;  the  joints  of  the  feet  are  tipped 
with  black,  and  very  long.  This  is  one  of  the  most  common  and  destructive  in- 
sects known  to  infest  the  grape  in  this  country.  In  some  parts  of  the  Eastern 
states  it  makes  its  appearance  in  such  vast  numbers  that  it  is  impossible  to  stay 
its  ravages.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  at  all  fastidious  in  regard  to  its  food,  as  it 
feeds  indiscriminately  upon  nearly  all  kinds  of  plants.  If  it  has  a  choice,  it  is 
not  a  very  particular  one,  as  I  have  found  it  feeding  upon  the  flowers  of  the  cherry, 
grape,  oxeye  daisy,  sumac,  rose,  and  upon  all  the  different  species  and  varieties 
of  the  spirea;  and  when  the  flowers  of  these  are  gone  it  will  attack  the  leayes. 
I  had,  one  season,  about  100  cherry  trees  entirely  stripped  of  their  leaves  by  this 
voracious  little  pest.  It  prefers,  however,  the  flowers  of  plants  to  their  leaves, 
and  it  usually  makes  its  appearance  in  the  spring,  about  the  time  the  grapes 
come  into  bloom.  It  eats  the  flowers  with  avidity,  and  when  it  appears  in  large 
numbers  makes  short  work  of  the  entire  crop. 


132  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

There  are  a  number  of  remedies  recommended  for  the  rose-chafer,  but  I  know 
of  none  better  or  more  effectual  than  that  of  catching  them  by  hand  and  killing 
them.  They  can  be  caught  very  rapidly  by  taking  a  large  cup  or  basin,  with  a 
little  water  in  it,  and  holding  it  under  the  insect;  giving  the  cluster  of  flowers  a 
slight  jar,  the  bugs  will  immediately  let  go  their  hold  and  fall  into  the  dish. 
When  a  quantity  have  been  caught,  throw  them  into  fire,  or  pour  hot  water  upon 
them.  I  have  followed  this  simple  plan  for  several  years,  and  though  I  have  not 
been  able  to  annihilate  them,  their  numbers  have  not  increased. 


VINE  SCALE. 

The  vine  scale  (Coccus  vites)  is  occasionally  met,  but  it  is  not  common.  To 
the  unassisted  eye  it  appears  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  small  scale,  without  the 
least  appearance  of  life.  The  scale  is  the  shell  or  covering  of  a  very  minute  in- 
sect that  pierces  the  bark  of  the  young  shoots  and  sucks  its  juices.  A  strong  so- 
lution of  potash  (say  one  pound  dissolved  in  two  gallons  of  water)  will  quickly 
destroy  them.  It  is  well  to  wash  the  stems  of  all  vines  in  gardens  with  potash 
water  every  winter,  as  it  would  destroy  insects  that  make  their  nests  in  the  crevi- 
ces of  the  bark.  That  portion  of  the  solution  that  falls  upon  the  ground  is  not 
wasted,  because  it  furnishes  the  vine  with  potash,  which  is  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able ingredients  of  all  fertilizers.  There  are  several  other  species  of  vine  scale  or 
Coccus  which  may  be  occasionally  found.  The  Coccus  adonidum ,  or  mealy  bug, 
sometimes  attacks  the  vine  when  grown  under  glass,  but  it  generally  confines  it- 
self to  other  plants.  Diluted  soft  soap,  or  potash  dissolved  in  water,  will  usually 
destroy  all  kinds  of  vine  scale. 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS.  133 


A  FEW  GRAPE  RECIPES. 


Canned  Grapes. — Take  ripe  grapes,  pick  from  the  stems,  and  wash  well. 
Put  them  into  cans  and  place  the  lid  on  loosely.  Set  the  cans  on  cloths  or  a 
wooden  rack  in  a  boiler,  surround  the  cans  with  water  two-thirds  their  height; 
boil  until  thoroughly  cooked.  Fill  up  shrinkage  from  one  can,  or  add  boiling 
water  or  boiling  syrup,  of  any  strength  desired.  Screw  the  tops  down,  or  seal, 
and  set  away. 

Canned  Grapes  (to  use). — They  are  good  directly  from  the  can  or  made 
into  pies;  or  they  may  be  used,  as  plums  or  raisins,  in  cake  and  pudding.  They 
are  good  in  a  roly-poly  pudding,  boiled  or  baked. 

Grape  Jam. —  Pulp  the  grapes;  put  the  skins  in  one  basin  and  the  pulps  in 
another.  Pour  the  pulps  into  a  porcelain-lined  kettle,  and  bring  to  boiling-point ; 
press  them  through  a  colander,  add  the  skins,  and  measure.  To  every  pint  al- 
low a  half-pound  of  sugar.  Put  the  sugar  and  liquid  back  into  the  kettle,  and 
boil  rapidly  twenty  minutes,  stirring  occasionally  to  prevent  scorching.  Pour  into 
tumblers  or  jars  and  seal  the  same  as  fruit  jelly.  Or,  after  boiling  the  twenty 
minutes,  the  whole  may  be  pressed  through  a  sieve  to  make  it  fine.  (.Mrs.  Rorer.) 

Grape  Jam. —  Stem  and  wash  ripe  grapes.  Then  pulp  them,  putting  the 
skins  in  a  vessel  by  themselves.  Cook  the  pulp  in  a  preserving  kettle  and  press 
through  a  sieve  or  colander  to  remove  the  seeds.  Now  add  the  skins,  weigh  all, 
and  add  three  fourths  the  weight  in  sugar.  Cook  all  together  slowly,  stirring 
well  for  an  hour.  This  is  about  the  best  way  to  put  up  grapes  for  winter  use. 

Green  Grape  Jam. — This  is  made  precisely  the  same  as  grape  jam,  using 
three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar  to  every  pint  of  grapes.  (Mrs.  Rorer.) 

Grape  Jelly  or  Jam  (to  use). — Nice  on  the  table  as  sauce;  also  good  in 
layer  cakes  or  sandwiches. 

Jelly. — For  this  use  ripe  Concord,  Isabella  or  Clinton  grapes.  They  should 
be  freshly  picked,  and  with  the  bloom  on.  Put  the  grapes  into  a  stone  jar;  stand 
it  in  a  kettle  of  cold  water ;  cover  the  top  of  the  jar,  and  heat  slowly  until  the 
berries  are  soft.  Now  put  a  small  quantity  at  a  time  into  your  jelly-bag,  and 
squeeze  out  all  the  juice.  Measure  the  juice,  and  to  each  pint  allow  one  pound 
of  granulated  sugar.  Turn  the  juice  into  a  porcelain-lined  kettle,  and  stand  over 
a  brisk  fire.  Put  the  sugar  into  earthen  dishes  and  stand  in  the  oven  to  heat. 
Boil  the  juice  rapidly  and  continuously  for  twenty  minutes,  then  turn  in  the  sugar 
hastily,  stirring  all  the  while  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved.  Dip  your  tumblers 
quickly  into  hot  water,  watch  the  liquid  carefully,  and,  as  soon  as  it  comes  again 
to  a  boil,  take  it  from  the  fire  "and  fill  the  tumblers.  If  the  fruit  is  overripe,  your 
jelly  will  never  be  firm,  no  matter  how  long  you  boil  it.  Follow  the  directions 
carefully  and  you  will  never  fail.  (Mrs.  Rorer.) 

Green  Grape  Jelly. — Fox  grapes  are  the  best  for  this.  Stem  the  grapes, 
put  them  into  a  porcelain-lined  kettle,  barely  covered  with  cold  water,  cover  the 
kettle,  and  boil  slowly  until  the  fruit  is  very  tender ;  then  drain  them  through  a 
flannel  jelly-bag — do  not  squeeze.  To  every  pint  of  this  juice  allow  one  pound 
of  granulated  sugar.  Put  the  juice  into  a  porcelain- lined  kettle,  and  bring  it 


134  THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 

quickly  to  a  boil ;  add  the  sugar,  stir  until  the  sugar  is  dissolved,  then  boil 
rapidly  and  continuously  until  it  jellies,  skimming  off  the  scum  as  it  comes  to 
the  surface;  twenty  minutes  is  usually  sufficient,  but  some  times  I  have  boiled 
it  thirty-five  minutes  before  it  would  jell  properly.  It  is  wise  to  begin  testing 
after  fifteen  minutes'  boiling.  To  do  this,  take  out  one  teaspoonful  of  the  boil- 
ing jelly,  pour  it  into  the  bottom  of  a  saucer,  and  stand  it  in  a  cold  place  for  a 
moment;  then  scrape  it  one  side  with  a  spoon  —  if  jellied,  the  surface  will  be 
partly  solid;  if  not,  boil  a  few  minutes  longer,  and  try  again.  As  soon  as  it  jel- 
lies, roll  the  tumblers  quickly  in  boiling  water,  then  fill  them  with  the  boiling 
liquid.  Stand  aside  until  cold  and  firm  (about  twenty-four  hours).  Then,  if 
you  have  jelly  tumblers,  put  on  the  lids;  if  not  cover  with  two  thicknesses  of  tis- 
sue paper,  and  paste  the  edges  of  the  paper  down  over  the  edge  of  the  tumbler. 
Then  moisten  the  top  of  the  paper  with  a  sponge  dipped  in  cold  water.  This 
moistening  stretches  the  paper,  so  that  when  it  dries  again  it  shrinks  and  forms 
a  covering  as  tight  and  smooth  as  bladder  skin.  I  do  not  recommend  jelly  being 
covered  with  brandied  paper,  as  in  my  hands  it  has  never  been  satisfactory.  The 
jelly,  in  cooling,  forms  its  own  air-proof  covering,  and  if  the  top  of  the  tumbler 
be  well  secured,  it  is  all  that  is  necessary.  Keep  in  a  cool,  dark  place.  (Mrs. 
Korer.) 

Green  Grape  Jelly. — Express  the  juice  either  before  or  after  cooking  — 
preferably  after.  For  each  pint  of  juice  add  one  pound  of  best  granulated  sugar. 
Boil  hard  and  fast  about  twenty  minutes  or  more — you  can  tell  only  by  testing. 

Grape  Marmalade. — Made  like  grape  jam,  only  use  pound  for  pound  of 
sugar,  and' boil  until  stiff. 

Grape  Fie. — Make  like  any  other  fruit  pie,  using  either  green,  ripe  or 
canned  grapes.  Be  sure  to  sweeten  well,  as  the  heat  "brings  out  the  acid." 

Pickled  Grapes. — Fill  a  jar  with  alternate  layers  of  sugar  and  bunches  of 
nice  grapes  just  ripe  and  freshly  gathered;  fill  one- third  full  of  cold  vinegar,  and 
cover  tightly.  (Mrs.  C.  T.  Carson.) 

Spiced  Grapes. —  Five  pounds  of  grapes,  three  of  sugar,  two  teaspoons  of 
cinnamon  and  allspice,  half  teaspoon  of  cloves ;  pulp  grapes ;  boil  skins  until 
tender,  cook  pulps,  and  strain  through  a  sieve,  add  it  to  the  skins,  put  in  sugar, 
spices  and  vinegar  to  taste;  boil  thoroughly,  and  cool.  (Miss  Mae  Stokes,  Mil- 
ford  Center.) 

Grape  Syrup. — Mash  the  grapes  and  stand  aside  in  a  warm  place  for  four 
days.  Cover  to  keep  out  dust  and  insects.  Then  turn  into  a  jelly-bag  and  let 
drip  slowly.  If  you  wish  it  very  clear,  filter  through  filtering-paper.  Measure 
the  juice,  and  to  every  pint  allow  two  pounds  of  granulated  sugar.  Mix  the 
juice  and  sugar  together  until  only  a  small  portion  settles  to  the  bottom,  then 
pour  it  into  a  farina  boiler,  place  over  the  fire,  and  the  heat  of  the  water  as  it. 
boils  around  will  dissolve  the  sugar.  When  this  has  been  thoroughly  effected, 
take  it  from  the  fire  and  stand  aside  to  cool.  When  cold,  put  into  small  bottles, 
fill  them  to  the  top,  cork  tightly,  seal  and  keep  in  a  dark,  cool,  dry  place.  Be 
very  careful  that  you  use  only  porcelain  or  granite  articles  in  the  making  of 
syrups,  as  the  acids  of  the  fruits  will  act  upon  metal  and  change  the  bright  red 
color  to  a  purple.  Use  a  wooden  spoon  in  stirring.  Strong  heat  or  boiling  also 
destroys  the  color  and  flavor  of  the  syrups.  (Mrs.  Rorer.) 


INDEX. 


America,  grape  in 3 

American,  origin  of 4 

' '         evolution  of 6 

Anthracnose 127 

Aphis. 130 

Arbors 16 

Area  of  greatest  development 3 

Bagging,  addresses  of  patrons 17 

"        how  to  do  it 18 

"         Frank  Holsinger  on 19 

"        it  pays 29 

Bees,  do  they  injure  grapes? 115 

"  "      Abbott 115 

"      Langstroth...  115 

"          "  "  "      Cook 116 

"      McLain 117 

Black  rot 128 

Bull,  Ephraim  W.,  frontispiece. 

Canning  grapes 133 

Canned,  to  use 133 

Cold  storage 123 

Concord  grape,  original  vine 15 

Culture  by  — 

Buckman,  A.  H 92 

Chambers,  S.  W 106 

Chandler,  M.E 93,  111 

Cutter,  William 106,  108 

Entsminger,  A.  L 93 

Fisher,  E.  P 107 

Mead,  W 105 

"Missouri  way" 27 

Miller,  Samuel 102 

Moyer,  Peter 106 

Spear,  Geo.  J 97 

"Strawberry  Culturist" 96 

Cutworms 130 

Discussions  on  culture 94,  107 

Diseases 127 

Enemies 130 

Extracts  from  — 

"American  Cultivator" 106 

Prof.  L.  H.  Bailey 3,  6,  127 

"  California  Fruit-grower  " 125 

Mrs.  Carson 34 

"  Farm  and  Fireside  " 9 

M.  M.Frizelle 14 

"Green's  Fruit-grower" 27,  105 

"Ice  and  Refrigerator" 123 

Newlin,  Chas.  E 5 

"  Orange  Judd  Farmer  " 26 

F.H.Hall 112 

T.  V.  Munson 97,  99,  111,  129 

"  Practical  Fruit-grower" 122 

Mrs.  Rorer...  .     33,  134 


Extracts  from  — 

"Rural  New  Yorker" 122 

1 '  Rural  World  " 8 

Miss  Mae  Stokes 134 

Henry  Wallis 120 

Prof.  J.  C.  Whitten 4,  12,  27,    29 

Fox  grape,  northern 4 

Girdling  vines 12,  13,    14 

Growing,  in  cities 16 

in  south  Kansas 90 

High  prices 122 

Insects 128 

Aphis 130 

Cutworm 130 

Flea-beetle 128 

Rose-bug 131 

Scale 132 

Juice,  unfermented 3,  27,  123 

11     whoputsitup 125 

Kansas  vineyards,  statistics 7 

Medicinal  qualities 125 

Methods  of  old  world 3 

Mildew,  powdery 127 

Overbearing 18 

Preservation  of  fresh 122 

Profitable 120 

Propagation,  by  seed 8 

by  cuttings 8 

by  layers , 9 

by  grafting 10 

setting  vines 98 

Pruning 10,  11,  14,    15 

Recipes,  grape 133 

jam 133 

green  grape 133,  134 

touse 133 

elly 133 

' '        marmalade 134 

pie 134 

pickled 134 

spiced 134 

"        syrup 134 

Ripening,  order  of 27 

River  bank  grape 5 

Spraying Ill,  129 

Trellis 16 

"     to  tighten 16 

"     bracing 16 

"     Munson's 99 

Varieties,  voted  list 27 

Varieties  described  : 

Agawam 19 

Bacchus 19 

Barry 19 


(135) 


136 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


Varieties  described : 

Berkmans 19 

Brighton 19 

Brilliant 19 

Campbell's  Early 19 

Cape 25 

Carman 20 

Catawba 20 

Centennial 20 

Chandler 20 

Champion 20 

Charlton 26 

Clinton 20 

Columbian 21 

Columbian  Imperial 21 

Concord 21 

Cottage 21 

Croton.. 21 

Cynthiana 21 

Delaware 21 

Dracut  Amber 21 

Duchess 21 

Early  Ohio 21 

Early  Victor 22 

Eaton 22 

Eclipse 22 

Eldorado 22 

Elvira 22 

Empire  State 22 

Eumelan 22 

Fox,  Northern 4 

Geneva. 22 

Green's  Golden 22 

Green  Mountain 22 

Goethe 22 

Hartford  Prolific 22 

Hayes 23 

Herbert 23 

Herbemont 23 

Herman  Jaeger 23 

Hicks— Irl  R.  Hicks 23 

Ideal 23 

lona 23 

Ives 23 

Janesville 23 

Jefferson 23 

Jessica 23 

Jewel 23 

Lady 24 

Lady  Washington 24 

Lindley 24 

Logan  24 

Martha  . .  .24 


Varieties  described : 

Massasoit . . . ; 24 

McPike 24 

Merrimac 24 

Mills 24 

Missouri  Reisling 24 

Moore's  Diamond 24 

Moore's  Early 24 

Moyer 24 

Niagara 24 

Noah 24 

Northern  Muscadine 24 

Norton's  Virginia 25 

Osage 25 

Ozark 25 

Paragon 25 

Perkins 25 

Peter  Wylie 25 

Pocklington 25 

Poughkeepsie  Red 25 

Prentiss 25 

Ricketts 24 

River  Bank 5 

Rochester 25 

Rogers'sNo.  1 22 

No.3 24 

No.4 26 

No.9 24 

No.15 19 

No.19 24 

No.22 25 

No.43 19 

No.44 23 

Rommel  25 

Salem 25 

Schuylkill  Muscadel 25 

Spring  Hill  Constantia 25 

Taylor's  Bullitt 26 

Telegraph  . .- 26 

Ulster  Prolific 26 

Vergennes  26 

Victoria 26 

Warren  Neal 23 

Wilder 26 

Winchell 22 

Woodruff  Red 26 

Worden 26 

Wyoming  Red 26 

Vines  against  buildings 16 

Vineyards,  by  George  Holsinger 91 

byT.V.Munson 97,  99 

byE.  W.Geer 103 

Why  some  grapes  fail  to  fruit 112,  113 


REPORTS  FROM  GRAPE  GROWERS. 


Allen  county : 

Buck,  L.  D.,  Moran 32 

Perrenoud,  L.,  Humboldt 32 

Anderson  county : 

Metcalf,  E.  T.,  Colony 32 

Newcomb,  William,  Welda 32 

Simon,  Ebert,  Welda 33 


Atchison  county : 

Gaylord,  J.  S.,  Muscotah 33 

Schletzbaum,  Francis,  Eden 33 

Tucker,  W.  H.,  Effingham 3:3,  125 

Barber  county : 

Blackmore,  C.  A.,  Sharon 34 

Huff,  A.  S.,  Enon 33 

Leonhart,  B.,  Kiowa 34 

Pimm,  John,  Enon 34,  125 

White,  D.  D.,  Enon 17,  34,  125 


INDEX. 


137 


Barton  county : 

Elliott,  Geo.  T. ,  Great  Bend 35 

McCullagh,  Ben.,  Ellin  wood 35 

Rediger,  Jacob,  Great  Bend 35 

Bourbon  county : 

Saxe,  J.  B.,  Fort  Scott 35 

Williams,  R.  A.,  Glendale 35 

Brown  county : 

Chase,  R.  C.,  Hiawatha 36,  125 

Hansen,  Neil,  Willis 36 

Oxley,  B.  F.,  Morrill 36 

Butler  county : 

Johnson,  J.  J.,  El  Dorado 36 

Chase  county : 

Chandler,  R.  H.,  Bazaar 37 

Gamer,  Mike,  Strong 37 

Pflagler,  Charles,  Elk 37 

Starkey,  F.,  Elmdale 37 

Chautauqua  county : 

Ellexson,  Jere,  Chautauqua 38 

Guest,  Thos.  H.,  Graf  ton 38,  125 

McKee,  W.  P.,  Cedarvale 38 

Cherokee  county : 

Denison,  A.  S.,  Columbus 38 

Stebbins,  D.  S.,  Columbus 39 

Cheyenne  county : 

Campbell,  B.  F.,  St.  Francis 39 

McCallum,  A.  R.,  St.  Francis 39 

Clark  county : 

Bocne,  Chas.  G.,  Ashland 39 

Clay  county : 

Arnold,  A.  D.,  Longford 40 

Macy,  I.  N.,  Longford 40 

Olsen,  Theo.,  Green 39 

Reed,  John,  Longford 39 

Cloud  county : 

Davis,  H.  A.,  Concordia 40 

Domony,  S.  H.,  Aurora 40 

Munger,  A.,  Hollis 40 

Cowley  county : 

Bilsing,  J.  H.,  Udall 41 

Keller,  Johnson,  Arkansas  City 41,  125 

Moncrief,  J.,  Winfield 17,  41 

Crawford  county : 

Howard,  L.  M.,  Girard 42 

Whiteside,  J.  A. ,  Girard 42 

Wilson,  Alfred,  Pittsburg 42 

Decatur  county : 

Johnson,  P.  T.,  Oberlin 43 

Sayles,  J.  H.,  Norcatur 17,  42 

Street,  W.  D.,  Oberlin 42 

Dickinson  county : 

Dunlap,  James,  Detroit 43 

Engle,  A.  M.,  Moonlight 43 

Doniphan  county : 

Montgomery,  Bert,  Troy 43,  125 

Shoe,  L.  A.,  Highland 43 

Douglas  county : 

Griesa,  A.  C.,  Lawrence 17,  44,  125 

Griesa,  A.  H.,  Lawrence 44,  125 

Flasket,  William,  Lawrence 45 


Edwards  county : 

Angus,  Harry,  Lewis  .* 45 

Elk  county  : 

Bolinger,  A.,  Moline 46 

Lewis,  S.  D.,  Howard 45 

Weathers,  J.  C.,  Howard 46 

Zeiner,  Aaron,  Elk  Falls 45 

Ellis  county  : 

Mclntosh,  James,  Hays 47 

Ellsworth  county : 

McCoy,  Geo.  W.,  Wilson 47 

Finney  county : 

Sylvester,  William  M.,  Garden  City.. ..  47 

Ford  county : 

Mayrath,  Nicholas,  Dodge  City 47 

Franklin  county  : 

Brown,  David,  Richmond 48 

Patterson,  R.  D.,  Ottawa 47 

Taylor,  Isaac  M. ,  Richmond 48 

Suritz,  F.,  Ottawa 48 

Geary  county : 

Cutter,  William,  Junction  City 48 

Gove  county : 

Royer,  Jesse,  Gove 49 

Soderstrom,  John  E.,  Gove 49 

Springer,  J.  E.,  Gove 49 

Graham  county : 

Turck,  F.  D.,  Hill  City 49 

VanDoren,  I.  M.,  Leland 50 

Gray  county : 

Emery,  J.  P.,  Cimarron 50 

Greeley  county : 

Trueblood,  D.  M.,  Tribune 50 

Greenwood  county : 

Hinshaw,  J.  M.,  Eureka 50 

Munger,  G.  M.,  Eureka 50 

Reiter,  Geo.  W. ,  Fall  River 50 

Wiggins,  W.  H.,  Lapland 50 

Harper  county : 

Bailey,  John,  Harper 50 

Blackburn,  W.  E.,  Anthony 51 

Chatelaine,  Edward,  Harper 51 

Curran,  J.  C.,  Curran 51 

Hamilton  county : 

Jones,  V.  B.,  Syracuse 52 

Harvey  county ; 

Chatelas,  Henry,  Newton 52 

Clark,  William  J.,  Halstead 52 

Lehman,  David,  Halstead 52 

Nabb,  P.,  Sedgwick 53 

Saltzman,  A.  J.,  Burrton 53 

Hodgeman  county : 

Bastain,  C.,  Wittrup 53 

Haskell  county : 

Vetter,  John,  Santa  Fe 53 

Jackson  county : 

Bacon,  John  M.,  Soldier 54 

Dixon,  F.  W.,  Holton 54 

Osborn,  F.  L.,  Soldier 54 

Williams,  J.  W.,  Holton 54 


138 


THE    GRAPE    IN    KANSAS. 


Jefferson  county : 

Curry,  J.  W.,  Dunavant 54 

Miller,  Lou.,  Perry, 55 

Roberts,  H.  R.,  Perry 55 

Jewel  county : 

Gaborsch.M.  M.,  Salem 55 

Johnson  county : 

Beckley,  J.  C.,  Spring  Hill 55 

Diehl,  E.  P.,Olathe 17,  55,  125 

Rhoades,  Henry,  Gardner 55 

Kearny  county : 

Longstreth,  C.  H.,  Lakin 56 

Kingman  county : 

Coleman,  W.  R.,  Kingman 56 

Kiowa  county : 

Brown,  W.  J.,  Greensburg.. ..' 

Einsel,  A.  D. ,  Greensburg 

Winters,  D.  E.,  Haviland 


....:.  58 

57 

57 

Labette  county : 

Beeson,  S.  M.,  Angola 57 

DeGarmo,  R.,Oswego 58 

Gordon,  Chas.  H. ,  Chetopa 58 

Harrington,  Charles,  Altamont 57 

Lane  county : 

Bradstreet,  D.  E.,  Dighton 58 

Graves,  Jacob,  Healy 58 

Leavenworth  county : 

Gaiser,  E.,  Lansing 59 

Stay  man,  J.,  Leavenworth 59,  125 

Lincoln  county : 

Baird,  William,  Vesper 61 ,  125 

Moss,  Martin,  Lincoln 61 

Weidman,  J.,  Lincoln 61 

Linn  county : 

Boulware,  Mark,  Blue  Mound 62 

Fleharty,  W.  M.,  La  Cygne 62 

Latimer,  J.  W.,  Pleasanton 62 

Logan  county : 

David,  J.  E.,  Winona 63 

Lyon  county : 

Chambers,  A.  D.,  Hartford 64 

Craig,  Thos.,  Americus 63 

Overly,  D.  C.,  Hartford 63 

Walters,  W.,  Emporia 63,  125 

Marion  county : 

Allison,  T.  W.,  Florence 17,  64,  125 

McNicol,  Jas.,  Lost  Springs 64 

Meierdircks,  J.  T.,  Florence 64 

Marshall  county : 

Dickey,  C.  E.,  Irving 65,  125 

Stout,  Stephen,  Axtell 17,  65 

Williams,  James  W.,  Home 65 

M 

Fern,  Charles,  Lindsborg 65 

Huston,  Frank,  McPherson 66 

Meade  county : 

Cox,  B.  F.,  Meade 66 

Vick,  Mrs.  G.  O.,  Fowler 66 


Miami  county : 

Cadwallader,  R.  H.,  Louisburg 
Martin,  D.  M.,  Osawatomie 
Stout,  P.  B.,  Paola 


,  66 

,  66 

.  67 

Mitchell  county : 

Barnes,  J.  T.,  Beloit 17,  67,  125 

Detweiler,  Samuel  L.,  Glen  Elder 68 

Stockard,  W.  B.,  Beloit. 67 

Montgomery  county : 

Bouton,  Noah  E.,  Cherryvale 68 

Bowen,  P.  C.,  Cherryvale 68 

Good,  Jacob,  Coffey ville 68 

Kenoyer,  F.  L.,  Independence 69 

Ross,  J.  C.,  Havana 69,  125 

Morris  county : 

Robinson,  W.  H.,  Dualap 69 

Sample,  John  E. ,  Beman 69 

Sharp,  James,  Parkerville 69 

Morton  county : 

Gordon,  John  A.,  Viroqua 

Morgan,  L.  G.,  Richfield 


70 

70 

Nemaha  county : 

Oberndorf,  A.,  jr.,  Centralia. ..  17,  70,  125 

Riggs,  H.  C.,  Wetmore 71 

Wilcoe,  O.K.,  Corning 70 

Neosho  county : 

Gardiner,  W.  W.,  Chanute 71 

Record,  O.  M.,  Thayer 17,  71 

Schmoker,  G.,  Urbana 71 

Ness  county : 

Barker,  F.  A.,  Ransom 72 

Norton  county : 

Akers,  W.  H.,  Cactus 72 

Alexander,  J.  J.,  Norton 72 

Osage  county : 

Fine,  Godfrey,  Maxson 72 

Larsen,  Olaf,  Lyndon 72 

Lloyd,  J.  Q.,  Barclay 72 

Osborne  county : 

Short,  W.  G.,Twin  Creek 72 


Ottawa  county : 

Geissler,  Geo.,  Tescott 73 

Steel,  J.  L.,  Minneapolis 73 

Pawnee  county : 

Dickinson,  S.  S.,  Lamed 17,  73 

Gill,  William  A.,  Lamed 73 

Phillips  county : 

Dutcher,  F.  T.  M.,  Phillipsburg 74 

Young,  D.  F.,  Long  Island 74 

Pottawatomie  county : 

Furman,  Isaac  H.,  Onaga 74 

Weltner,  M.  D.,  Westmore  and 74 

Pratt  county : 

Ablard,  J.  J.,Lawndale 74 

Everhart,  J.  T.,  Pratt 75 

Rawlins  county : 

Hinerman,  S.  S.,  Chardon 75 

Williams,  J.  L.,  McDonald 75 


INDEX. 


139 


Reno  county : 

Bainum,  James,  Arlington 75 

Dunlap,  James,  Hutchinson 76 

Hanson,  E.  B.,  Olcott 76 

Morgan,  E.,  Hutchinson 75 

Republic  county : 

Smith,  Fayette  A.,  Belleville 76 

Rice  county : 

Bohrer,  Dr.  G.,  Chase 77 

Hodgson,  H.  C.,  Little  River 77 

Werner,  William  H.,  Alden 76 

Riley  county : 

Anderson,  James,  Leonardville . . . .  77,  125 

Axelton,  A.  G.,  Randolph 79 

Christiansen,  N.,  Mariadahl 77 

Griffing,  W.  J.,  Manhattan 78,  125 

Kimble,  Sam,  Manhattan 78,  125 

Spohr,  G.  E.,  Manhattan 17,  78,  125 

Rush  county : 

Mirick,  B.  E.,  La  Crosse 79 

Newman,  W.  R.,  Hargrave 79 

Russell  county : 

i  .,  Russell 78 

Manners,  John  H.,  Luray 79 

Saline  county : 

Barker,  F.  G.,  Salina 80 

Fonek,  Henry,  Salina 80 

Jones,  A.  W.,  Salina 80 

Scott  county : 

Jurgens,  Frank,  Scott 81,  125 


Seward  county : 

Hill,  A.  C.,  Se ward 81 

Rapp,  William,  Liberal 81 

'Wright,  E.  T.,  Seward 84 

Sedgwick  county : 

Ceilings,  G.  W. ,  Wichita 

Shawnee  county : 

Buckman,  A.  H.,  Topeka 

Johnston,  S.  R.,  Wakarusa 

Sheridan  county : 

Brewster,  T.  J.,  Lucerne 


81 


Smith  county : 

Wells,  M.  E.,  Smith  Center 83 

Stafford  county : 

Campbell,  W.  M.,  St.  John 84 

Pelton,  H.  E.,  St.  John 84 

Welch,  D.  H.,  Macksville 84 

Stanton  county : 

Van  Meter,  C.  E.,  Johnson 84 

Sumner  county : 

Adams,  D.  M.,  Rome '. 17,  85 

Bailey ,  Geo.  W. ,  Wellington 85 

Thomas  county : 

Flood,  Isaac,  Colby 85 

Lacey,  M.  L.,  Colby 85 

Unsigned,  Colby 85 

Trego  county : 

Galloway,  G.  T.,  Wa  Keeney 85 

O'Toole,  E.  W.,  Collyer 85 


Wabaunsee  county  : 

Cook,  C.  C.,  Bradford 86,  125 

Gardiner,  C.  C.,  Bradford 86,  125 

Taylor,  C.  H.,  Eskridge 86,  125 

Wallace  county  : 

Griggs,  M.  T.,  Wallace 86 

Washington  county  : 

Avery,  J.  B.,  Clifton 87 

Baum,  G.  M., Washington 17,  87,  125 

Brown,  Thomas,  Palmer 87 

Houghton,  A.  E.,  Linn 87 

Seiferth,  F.,  Strawberry 88 

Yound,  William,  Brantford 87 

Wichita  county  : 

Ford,  John  C.,  Leoti 88 

Wilson  county  : 

Graham,  R.  O.,  Altoona 88 

Magill,  John  A.,  Roper 88 

Wood  son  county  : 

Jones,  A.  J.,  Yates  Center 88 

Wyandotte  county  : 

Cellar,  W.  D.,  Edwardsville 89 

Chandler,  A.,  Argentine 89 

Holsinger,  F.,  Rosedale 17,  19,  89,  125 


I ItioT 


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172000 


